Numb
by Salemsoriginal99
Summary: Years after a hard break up, Hermione is trying to go on with her life while Ron is trying to hold on to what used to be. Meanwhile, something sinister is brewing in the Forbidden Forest and it's affecting Hermione on a much more personal level.
1. A New Kind of Mysterious

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP. **

**I would like to thank Bone Hammer, my beta, for her work on helping me improve this story. She's done an excellent job with everything.**

Hermione Granger walked down the corridor of St. Mungo's, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and carrying a small stack of files in the other. It was nine in the morning and already it was snowing outside and she had been called to several rooms in the past two hours. She was tired and hungry. Entering her office, she dumped the papers on her desk and sat down in her chair, taking a sip of coffee before looking over the first file with limited interest.

She looked up when someone knocked at the door. Rachel Conway, Hermione's trainee Healer, came in.

"Yes?" Hermione asked. Rachel frowned.

"We have a situation down in the children's ward. They need you," she said.

Hermione grabbed her Healer robes and followed Rachel out the door; an agonizing scream hit Hermione's ears as soon as she entered the children's ward . The two picked up their pace until they hit one of the emergency rooms. Entering, Hermione was surprised to see so much blood all over the floor. She ran over to the group of Healers surrounding the bed.

"What's going on?" she asked. One of the other trainees looked up.

"Female, age seven. Bleeding from her stomach and vomiting. Cause unknown."

Hermione frowned, taking in the little girl for the first time. Her eyes were closed in pain and her blonde hair was plastered all over her face with some white filmy paste. Hermione pointed at it.

"Do you have an analysis of what that is?" she asked. The trainee shook his head, scribbling down notes from the Healer that was in charge, a large, hefty man by the name of Timothy Benguard. He was barking out orders when he caught sight of Hermione.

"Granger! Over here," he called. She made her way over to the other side of the bed, eyes still on the poor wretch writhing in pain.

"Any idea what happened?" Benguard asked quietly. Hermione shook her head; eyes travelling down to the girl's bleeding stomach.

"Some new curse?" she suggested. Benguard shook his head.

"We checked the wound. It wasn't done by any wand," he answered. Hermione frowned and looked up at the man.

"A creature?" she whispered. The man nodded.

"We've had two other cases like this, but they haven't been as bad. We haven't actually figured out how to stop the bleeding."

"What about the film on her face?" Hermione asked, moving out of the way as Rachel tried to soothe the small girl.

"We're checking that right now. At the moment all we can guess is that it's just saliva from what ever attacked the poor thing."

Hermione looked up at him. "What do you need me for? I don't work with children," she said. Benguard turned to her.

"Yeah, but you do specialize in creature wounds and I hear you're a favourite with the Aurors."

Hermione blushed. "I specialize in creature wounds, but I need to know what creature I'm dealing with. I've never seen anything like this before."

Benguard turned to one of the Healers and told him something. The Healer nodded and left the room. Benguard then turned back to Hermione.

"I'll talk to the Head Healer of your ward and see if I can get you down here to take a look at the other two patients," he whispered before moving off to the bed where they had finally gotten the girl to calm down, though the wound was still bleeding. Hermione sighed and walked over as well.

* * *

It was almost lunch and Hermione's stomach was growling. She found herself standing in front of one of the big window, holding her purse and watching the snow fall as she waited for the clock to turn. She had been in that emergency room for hours, trying to figure out what had happened to the little girl. Her mind wandered to the girl's parents, who had been waiting outside, clinging to each other. Benguard had been much help in that department. He was the Head Healer of the Children's Ward, an intimidating figure but incredibly funny and great with children. She could still remember the look that flooded their faces when Benguard had told them that their daughter was not getting any better. Hermione wiped her eyes, trying to think of something else. A small smile teased her lips as she watched some small children throw snowballs. The sight reminded her of the Burrow and how much she missed everyone. She hadn't seen many of them lately. Suddenly everything went dark as fingers went over her eyes. 

"Guess who," came the deep voice. Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled.

"I don't know. Who?" she asked, feeling her heart start to pound as lips tickled her neck and ear playfully.

"Guess," the man whispered.

"Harry?"

"No."

"Fred?" she guessed, smiling. The man let out a sigh.

"It's never any fun with you," he whispered before letting go of her. Hermione turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, besides Harry, you're the only one who feels that the need to breath down my neck is the only way to play around."

Ron rolled his eyes, throwing an arm around her shoulder and leading her down the hall.

"I'm taking you to lunch," he said as they walked down the stairs.

"Ron, I'm still on duty," she told him. Ron looked down at his watch then snorted.

"Yeah, for like two more minutes. I think the world of Mungos can run perfectly fine without you for the next two minutes," he snickered, as they exited the building. Hermione immediately scooted closer to him, the cold hitting her fast.

"Ron, I left my coat up in my office," she scolded. He rolled his eyes and took off his own cloak, handing it to her.

"There, happy?"

She looked at him and shook her head. "Now you're going to freeze. Why don't you just let me nick upstairs for a moment and get my coat then we'll go?"

Ron shook his head. "No. Let's just go, 'Mione before my arse freezes off," he grumbled.

"I don't want you to freeze. Here, take your coat and I'll go upstairs and get mine," she insisted. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Damn it, Hermione. Let's just go. Besides, for the brightest witch of her age, she's sure forgotten the use of simple warming spells," he pointed out, taking out his wand and muttering the charm. Hermione gave him a not so nice look that clearly said 'smart ass' before walking off down the street. Ron looked up at the sky in exasperation. They hadn't seen each other in weeks and already they were fighting again. He followed her into a small café; they found a seat and began looking at the menu. Hermione finally looked up at Ron.

"Why'd you want to take me to lunch?" she asked. Ron shrugged.

"I've been busy for the past few weeks and I heard you and Harry came here last week. I wanted to see you, that's all," he said before looking back down at his menu. Hermione couldn't help the butterfly feeling in her stomach when he said that. He had wanted to see her. Smiling to herself, she scanned the menu before finding what she wanted. After they ordered, Ron leaned back in his seat and observed her.

"How are you?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Tired. I've been in the children's ward all day. Not that I would mind, but there have been these attacks. Some sort of creature's been attacking children."

"Really?"

Hermione nodded. "We can't identify it yet, but we're trying. It was hard seeing that little girl's parents, not knowing whether their daughter was going to survive or not. You should have seen them when Rachel told them she was okay."

"Rachel?" Ron asked curiously. Hermione rolled his eyes.

"We haven't seen each other that long? Rachel's my trainee," Hermione explained. Ron nodded. "What about you? Anything interesting happen?"

Ron snorted. "Yeah right. I've been tracking this creep… don't give me that look, 'Mione," he added when seeing Hermione's glare. "I've been tracking this guy for a while. He's been breaking into several homes and stealing cats from the owners. We finally found out that the guy's been breeding illegal creatures. I've been doing paperwork for a week."

Hermione laughed as he explained more about the case. Ron couldn't help but watch how her lips would curl into a smile every time he said something funny, and he wanted to see it more. He wanted to see more of Hermione, but lately the both of them had been so busy they hardly had time to go out for a drink or something. After they got their food, there was a momentary silence in which Ron took the time to observe her more carefully. She had circles under her eyes and her hair was up in a messy bun, with strands falling down in her face. Hesitating at first, he reached across the table and tucked a curl behind her ear before letting his fingers rest on her cheek for a moment. Hermione froze, unsure of Ron's action. They stared at each other for a moment, Hermione's eyes questioning and Ron's blue eyes searching. He then removed his hand and went back to his food, his ears growing red. Taking a deep breath, Hermione decided to act as if it was nothing, continuing to eat her food and occasionally glancing up at him. She was about to say something when someone called her name.

"Hermione! Hermione Granger!"

She looked up to see a man waving at her. He turned to the people he was with and seemed to tell them to take a seat before he headed over to them. Hermione racked her brain for a connection and it came when she saw him up close.

"Alex! Alex Benguard! That's you," she exclaimed, standing up and giving the man a hug. Alex held her out at arms length observing her carefully.

"I can't believe it's you. What has it been, two years? Three?" he asked excitedly. Hermione smiled.

"At the least. We haven't seen each other since training! Wow! You look good. What do you do now?"

Alex grinned back. "I work outside of St. Mungo's. I keep contacts between St. Mungo's and other hospitals," he answered. "What about you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm here at St. Mungos. Actually, I'm working with your father. Does he know you're here?" she asked. Alex shook his head.

"Not yet. I just got in. I have a business meeting right now, but afterwards I was going to go and see him. Is he still the big softy?"

Hermione giggled. "As always, but how long are you staying?" she asked.

Alex shrugged. "I'll be here for a while. I have several meetings that are spread out, plus I get Christmas vacation."

"Ahem."

The two turned to see Ron, standing and smiling politely. "You going to introduce me, 'Mione?" he asked. Hermione went completely red under his gaze and turned to Alex.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Alex, this is Ron. Ron, Alex. Alex and I used to take courses together before I got a job here at St Mungo's, " she explained. Alex smiled.

"She was the smartest witch I'd ever seen," he said. Hermione's eyes grew and she blushed, shoving him lightly.

"You were pretty good yourself," she said. Alex rolled his eyes and shook Ron's hand.

"Nice to meet you. Hermione mentioned you quite a bit back in training. Said you were an excellent Auror," he said. Ron nodded, giving Alex a tight lipped smile.

"Funny, she's never mentioned you," he replied rather rudely.

Alex raised his eyebrow. "Really? Hermione and I were actually quite close during training," he shot back with a smile.

"And you two haven't spoken in two or three years? Doesn't seem like much of a relationship."

"When Hermione mentioned that you were an excellent Auror, she didn't mention that you were trying make up for your lack of humour."

"At least I have one."

"That's not all you have," Alex muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you hard of hearing?"

"No, but you seem to like to talk a lot. So why don't you go back over there and talk to your little friends."

"I don't believe I came over here to talk to you."

"No, you invited yourself over because you're lonely."

"If I'm lonely, I'd hate to imagine what your nights are like."

Hermione felt completely awkward and embarrassed. These two men had just met each other and already they hated each other. And judging by the way Ron was staring at Alex, if she didn't do something quick, the two would probably fight out their trivial issue. She turned to Alex.

"Look, I don't want to interrupt your meeting, they look like pretty important people." She grabbed her purse and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here's my address. Floo me."

Alex broke his glare with Ron and nodded, smiling. "Will do. Maybe we can get together for coffee or go out to dinner," he offered. Hermione smiled and nodded. Alex turned to Ron. "Nice meeting you, Ron," he said with a broad smile before going back to his table. Hermione looked over at Ron, whose eyes were still on Alex.

"Hey… should I ask what _that_ was about?" she asked carefully, though she already had a pretty good idea.

Ron blinked and glanced down at her before turning to sit down. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked. Hermione frowned and watched him as he began to pick at his food, making violent stabs at the chicken. He was muttering to himself and Hermione caught alarming words such as knife, pole and other obscenities she'd rather not repeat.

"I wouldn't know…" Sighing, she went back to her own food.

_He has completely lost focus. He'll be in a rotten mood for the rest of the day,_ she thought.

After an uncomfortable silence, Hermione looked around and spotted a clock. Biting her lip she stood up, attracting Ron's attention from his uneaten food.

"You're going?"

She nodded, pointing to the clock. "My lunch break is over," she said, handing him his coat. He shook his head.

"I'll walk you over," he whispered. She watched as he slam some money on the table and then they walked out. Hermione kept on glancing over at Ron, who had his fists shoved in his pockets and his ears were red. When they reached the entrance, Hermione took the coat off and gave it to him.

"You're freezing," she whispered, watching as some people passed by. Ron shrugged.

"I'm okay," he responded, looking outside. She reached up and touched his ears.

"Your ears are cold, Ron," she said with a small smile. He looked down at her and smiled.

"I'll be fine once I get back to work, besides, I'll just use a charm," he said. "I'll see you later, okay?"

She nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek before whispering, "Thanks for lunch." With that, she turned and walked off towards the front desk. Ron watched her leave for a moment before taking out his wand and preparing to Apparate. He'd have to check up on this Alex Benguard when he got back to the department.

"Well?"

Hermione looked up to see Rachel standing at her door. Hermione frowned.

"Well what?"

"Did he ask you out?" Rachel asked, coming in and closing the door. Hermione looked confused.

"Ron and I are just friends," she said. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Not Ron. _Alex_. Did he ask you out?" she corrected. Hermione frowned.

"How do you know that I saw Alex?"

Rachel shrugged. "A friend of mine was in the café that you and Ron were in, and saw you talking to Alex Benguard. Now. Did he ask you out or not?" she asked impatiently. Hermione looked down at her hands.

"No, he didn't. I gave him my Floo address and he said we should get together some time. Besides, I'm not about to accept a date while Ron's around."

Rachel frowned. "Why? You do when Harry is."

Hermione shifted awkwardly in her seat and fiddled around with the papers on her desk. "Ron's different."

"How? He and Harry are your best friends, how could he possibly be different… unless…"

"Unless what?" Hermione asked, looking up. Rachel's hazel eyes searched her face.

"Unless you like Ron," she said simply. Hermione puffed up.

"I do not like Ron. He's my friend," she said hastily. Rachel held up her hands in defence.

"Ok, ok! You don't like Ron. My mistake… well if there's nothing holding you back, you should definitely go out with him. I mean, he's a hottie!"

"Rachel!"

"What? I'd sleep with him."

"Rachel. You know I'm not like that," Hermione hissed. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Yeah well. All I'm saying is that if you're interested in seeing him again, you should do so before some other woman does," she said as she got up. Rachel opened the door and glanced over her shoulder. "That is, unless your infatuation with Ron is stopping you."

Hermione watched as the door closed. She looked down at her papers, her mind in confusion. She groaned and rested her head on the desk.

"I do not have an infatuation with Ron!"

**A/N: Trust me, it gets much more interesting!**


	2. Promises

**A/N: I rather like this story.**

"Hermione! There you are!" Harry called, waving her over. Hermione grinned and walked over to where he, Fred, George and Charlie were standing, holding bottles of Butterbeer. She gave each of them a kiss before standing next to Harry.

"How are you?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I'm okay."

"Ron said you looked tired," Charlie said. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Did he?"

"Yep. Said you looked like crap," George quipped. Hermione turned to him.

"_Did_ he?"

"No I didn't. I said you looked beautiful," Ron said, coming up to stand next to her. He had spotted her from the kitchen.

She smiled. "That's what I thought," she said giving George a look. George just grinned.

"Come on, let's leave this lot to themselves," Charlie said, shoving his two brothers away. Hermione watched them leave before turning back to Harry and Ron.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked as they took a stroll down to the lake.

"What?" Harry asked. Hermione looked around, then turned to them.

"Have you been having any problems with creature attacks lately?" she asked. Ron frowned.

"You mean, like the attacks you had a few days ago?" he asked. Hermione nodded. Harry shook his head.

"Not that I can remember… but wouldn't you know? I mean you _do_ specialize in creature wounds."

Hermione shook her head. "Sure, but I see so many wounds that I forget which patient's an Auror and which one is just some idiot messing around with a Hippogriff," she said. Harry watched her for a moment and frowned.

"That's not the only reason you asked us, is it?" he whispered. Hermione shook her head and took a deep breath.

"Look… we have a feeling that this thing, whatever it is, is Death Eater related. I want you two to be careful, okay? I know you two and at the first sign of danger, you two always seem to be there right in the middle of it." The two men smiled. Hermione gave them both stern looks. "I'm serious, boys. I don't want to see you two coming in with wounds like that. I don't think I could handle that. Please be careful," she whispered. Upon seeing her eyes tearing up, Harry and Ron sighed, feeling slightly ashamed of themselves. Ron put an arm around Hermione and pulled her into a hug.

"We promise to behave, okay" he said. Hermione sniffed.

"And promise not to take any dangerous missions for the next few days," she whispered.

"And promise not to take any dangerous missions for the next few days," Harry repeated.

"And you won't do anything stupid," she mumbled.

"Harry promises not to do anything stupid," Ron said with a straight face. Hermione pulled away and looked up at him.

"I was talking about you, Ron," she whispered. Harry chuckled as Hermione gave Ron a peck on the cheek before linking her arm with Harry and walking back towards the Burrow. Ron rolled his eyes and followed. Hermione leaned into Harry.

"So… how are you really?" she asked. Harry sighed; glancing over his shoulder to make sure Ron was out of hearing range before he turned back to Hermione.

"Ginny and I got into a fight," he whispered. Hermione frowned.

"What about? She never told me about anything."

Harry shifted uncomfortably, glancing down at her as they walked. "Well… that's the thing. It was about you," he whispered. Hermione almost stumbled from surprise.

"Me? Why are you fighting about me?" she asked, completely confused. Harry shrugged.

"I'm just guessing it's that time of the month again," he mumbled.

Hermione frowned. "Harry… you and I have been friends _way_ before you and her even _liked_ each other? Why is she suddenly getting all mad?" she asked, hurt.

Harry shifted and stuffed his fist in his pockets. "You know how Ginny can get," he offered.

Hermione didn't like this. There must have been more to the fight than just her. "What happened then? Did you do something?"

"What makes you think I did something?" Harry countered defensively.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Look Harry. I spoke to Ginny yesterday and there was nothing wrong with her. So obviously you did something, or didn't do something and my name got pulled into the argument," she said logically.

Now it was Harry's turn to roll his eyes. "Damn it, Hermione. Just drop it, okay," he snapped.

"Did you break something?"

"No."

"Say something wrong?"

"No."

"Forget something?"

"Maybe."

"You must have done something bad," Hermione commented.

Harry let out a frustrated sigh and turned to her. "Can we _please_ drop this?" he pleaded.

Hermione stood straighter, giving him a non-pitying look. "What did you do?" she asked.

Harry glanced back at Ron, who was taking his time then sighed. "Do you remember that night we spent discussing the Greyson case?" he asked.

Hermione nodded, frowning. "We stayed up all night talking about it," she whispered.

"Yeah, well, that was the night I was supposed to meet Ginny for her big promotion dinner," he murmured.

Hermione's eyes grew large. "What?" Before she could press the subject Ron caught up with them. As they walked up to the Burrow, Hermione shot him a look that clearly said that she'd be talking to him later about it.

* * *

Dinner at the Burrow that night was wonderful as usual. Mrs. Weasley asked them all several questions concerning jobs and such. The topic however that caught Hermione's interest was when Percy started talking about a particular person. Hermione's head shot up.

"You know Alex Benguard?" she asked curiously. Percy straightened his glasses and nodded.

"He comes around the office sometimes. Alex has several friends in high places you know, seeing as his father is Head at St. Mungo's. He knows his way around. You do know he's back in town," Percy said. Hermione nodded.

"We saw each other a few days ago," she replied. Mrs. Weasley looked interested at this point, her eyes glancing over at Ron before questioning Hermione.

"How do you know this man?" she asked casually. Not catching the tone, Hermione smiled.

"We used to go to training together after I graduated. He's sent me occasional letters, telling me how he is and such," she replied.

"Apparently they got cozy when studying the human anatomy," Ron muttered, earning him a nasty look from Hermione. This remark, however, heightened Mrs. Weasley interest in this popular man and she asked another question.

"Did you two used to date?"

Hermione, as well as several others including Harry and Ginny, spluttered on their food and drink, looking at Mrs. Weasley with surprised glances. Ron just scowled at the implication and stared at Hermione with an expectant look. Hermione coughed.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, hoping she had heard wrong. Mrs. Weasley looked completely unfazed.

"Did you two used to date, dear? You and this Alex bloke?" she repeated. Hermione's eyes immediately went over to Ron, who was watching her carefully. Hermione pulled away from his intense gaze, straightening herself.

"No, we didn't date. We were just friends, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, more for Ron's sake and her own than for Mrs. Weasley herself. The woman however didn't seem satisfied.

"That's what you said about you and Ronald, and if I can remember correctly-"

"Mum!" Ron protested. Hermione's face had gone completely red and her eyes were down at her plate. Mrs. Weasley flamed up.

"Well it's true!"

Arthur leaned in and whispered something to Mrs. Weasley but she only got angry.

"Well why should I be quiet and act like it never happened? If it hadn't been for that stupid war we might actually have some additional faces at the table," she stated, simply yet aggressively. At that implication more coughs could be heard as other family members choked on their food. Ron went completely pale and looked at his mother as if he was back in second year and meeting Aragog for the first time. Hermione threw down her napkin and stood up, her face redder than the Weasley's hair.

"I think I've stayed long enough," she muttered, leaving the table quickly. Ron glared at his mother before getting up. Hermione was just putting on her cloak when he came into the small hall. She was muttering to herself.

"_And if I can remember correctly_," she mimicked rudely. "Who the hell does she think she is?"

"She's my mum," Ron answered. Hermione looked up and then back down, hooking her cloak. Ron stepped closer.

"Look, Hermione," he started. Hermione held up her hand, shaking her head.

"Don't Ron… It's not your fault. I should have realized what your mother wanted and just shut up before she got on a roll," she whispered, looking up at him with a weak attempt at a smile. "It doesn't matter anymore. You've moved on and I've moved on and _that's_ what does matter. You're mother's just going to have to deal with that," she said. Ron nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets and ignoring the screaming voice coming from his chest. Hermione walked over to him and gave him a small kiss on the lips before picking up her bag.

"Until then I'll just be avoiding this place for a while," she whispered. Ron chuckled.

"Oh yeah. Just let her cool down for a while," he said. Hermione smiled. They stood there for a moment before she pulled him into a tight hug. She stood on her toes and leaned into his ear.

"I'll see you later," she whispered. Ron nodded turning to her. Intense blue met soft chocolate and the gaze stayed for a moment before Ron leaned in and kissed her gently. Hermione's grip on his shirt tightened at the action as she let him come closer. One hand came up to cup her face as they held each other close, clinging to the moment and knowing that sooner or later they'd have to let go and move on. But for the moment she let him kiss her. She let him embrace her. It was nice to be in his arms again. She opened her mouth slightly to his, letting their tongues brush and causing her to inhale deeply. Ron's hand came up to her hair, pulling her closer, kissing her gently.

"Hem, hem."

Ron literally jumped a foot in the air from hearing the familiar cough of a teacher he'd much rather forget. Hermione and he turned to see Harry standing there, with a raised eyebrow and a questioning gaze. Hermione glanced up at Ron before going over and giving Harry a quick kiss on the cheek. Harry couldn't help but smirk.

"Ron gets a snog and I get a peck?" he asked cheekily. Hermione rolled her eyes and offered a smile.

"Goodnight, Harry," she said before going out the door. They could hear her Disapparate. Harry turned to Ron and gave him a worried look. Ron just walked past him, not saying anything. Harry stayed where he was, his mind on what he had walked into. Was it a sight of two lovers or just two friends holding onto what could have been? Harry closed his eyes. He could tell Hermione was trying to move on, but Ron… the look that came to his eyes every time she was around was hard for Harry to bear. He knew Ron was still trying to cling to what was left of his and Hermione's relationship but… Harry sighed. If Hermione didn't stop leading him into such situations, she'd end up in the middle of something she couldn't handle.

**A/N: Sorry guys! Half way through the 13th chapter of Haunted I had a sudden blast of genius and completely deleted what I wrote and am changing it completely and seeing as exams are coming up in a week, I will definetly not be updating as often as you'd like so this will probably be the last update in a while. Hope you like it!**

**OzDust:** I was looking that chapter over before I put it on and I actually decided to add that little fight sequence before I posted. The actual thing ended after Alex compliments Ron. I wasn't actually going to make the two hate each other so early in the story, but when I reread it I was thinking to myself. _Come on! Ron's not Ron unless he picks a fight with the guy Hermione dates. Unless of course it's Victor Krum, then he picks a fight with Hermione, but seeing as Alex is there, go for it!_ I just had to add that little bit. Hope you liked it!

**cellogirl:** Well, things are just getting started.

**Avanell:** Don't worry about Alex. The men Hermione dates always have an interesting role.

**charma10:** From the looks of things, it seems as if _Hermione's_ the one who is procrastinating.

**Wesker888:** Yeah... Ron's my hero!

**Chapter Tease:**

_Ron watched her for a while then sighed, taking his hand away. Hermione instantly felt the loss of warmth and wanted it back. She reached out and took his hand again. Ron looked up at her with searching blue eyes and she blushed... _


	3. Passing Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and any new characters that I made up! TTFN!**

"Hey, Hermione! Benguard needs you, stay," Rachel reported, poking her head into Hermione's office. Hermione nodded and got up, taking her report with her as she rushed down the hall with Rachel leading the way. Once again she found herself in an emergency room, standing next to Benguard as Healers moved around, trying to settle the two moaning boys on the blood soaked beds. This time though, the wounds were not on the stomach but on the legs. Hermione nearly threw up when she saw what had happened. One of the boy's legs had been skinned, literally. All that showed was muscle and blood, pouring out everywhere. The other boy's legs were shredded. The skin was ripped in lines right down to the bone. Whatever had done this had dragged its claws down the boy's leg at an incredible force and speed. Benguard glanced over at Hermione's pale face.

"Can't handle the sight of blood anymore, Granger?" he asked with a slightly annoyed look on his face. Hermione gulped and straightened. She shook her head.

"I'm fine. I've been around plenty of wounds… I've just never seen anything like this before…" She trailed off, noticing the same milky fluid she had seen on the little girl. It was all over the boys' faces and clothes. Hermione then turned to one of the Healers and told them what to do, taking out her own wand and pointing at the shredded legs. She whispered the charm. Suddenly she flew back, screaming with the boy. The red beam that had shot out of Hermione's wand hit the boy and then surrounded her as well. She continued to scream as something filled her mind.

In a flash she saw two prone figures lying by a lake. There was something scaly slipping passed her vision for a second… then, in another flash, it was gone. Hermione landed on the ground, clutching her head in pain as Rachel and Benguard rushed over to her, concern evident in their faces.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked. Hermione grimaced as she was helped to her feet.

"I'm fine…" she whispered, her eyes on the boy. Benguard gave her a questioning look before nodding.

"Go take a break. You've been working too hard," he said. She shook her head.

"I'm fine," she insisted. Benguard stood to his full height.

"I'm still your superior and don't want you in here for the rest of the day. Go get some sleep or something. You look horrible," he said sharply. Hermione sighed and nodded, giving Rachel one last look before exiting the room and heading up to her office. She was just about to enter when someone called her name. Looking around, she smiled and waved.

"Alex. What are you doing here?" she asked as she entered her office. Alex followed her in and looked around, taking in the file cabinets and the awards that had been bestowed upon her, mainly because of the Last War. He walked over to a picture on the wall and pointed.

"That's Hogwarts?" he asked. Hermione grinned and nodded, coming to stand next to him. The picture was of her, Ron and Harry. Harry was sitting cross legged in front and she and Ron were standing behind him. It wasn't her favorite picture. The only thing she liked about it was the fact that Ron was holding her tightly to him, whispering things in her ear and making her laugh before she finally pulled away and sat down on Harry's lap and gave him a big smooch on the cheek. The picture would then repeat itself.

"That was graduation," she whispered. She then turned to him. "So, what brings you here?"

Alex shrugged. "I was here, so I decided to check in on you," he said with a brilliant smile. Hermione could feel a blush creep to her cheeks under his gaze and she turned to her desk.

"Why do I get the feeling that's not the _only_ reason you stopped by?" she asked with a smirk. Alex let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Fine! You got me. I was actually wondering if you were doing anything this Saturday?" he asked. Hermione jerked slightly. He was asking her out. She shifted around nervously with her papers and then shook her head.

"No… I'm not," she whispered. She then got a smile and looked up. "Why? Were you planning something?"

Alex shrugged. "I don't know. There's this beautiful woman I'd like to go out to lunch with, but she's an extreme workaholic… or so I'm told."

Hermione blushed but kept her stature. "Well I don't know. Do you think this girl would actually go out with you?"

"I'd love to get the chance," Alex responded, standing right in front of her. Hermione shrugged.

"I guess so. You are cute enough," she said. Alex smiled and took her hand, kissing it.

"I'll see you at four?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"Four it is," she said. Flashing her a beautiful smile, he left the room. Hermione smiled to herself, feeling slightly elated. She felt the same way she did when Victor Krum had asked her out.

"Are my ears deceiving me or were you flirting with him?"

Hermione looked up in surprise to see Rachel standing there with a smirk on her face. Hermione's eyes grew large.

"You were listening!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Of course I was listening. You honestly think I'd not listen after seeing that pretty piece of meat walk in here. You were flirting with him!"

Hermione shook her head, feeling flushed. "I was not flirting."

"You're cute enough! Oh, come on Hermione. That was pure flirting. You've just been doing it so long with Ron; you've forgotten what it actually is."

"I do not flirt with Ron," she snapped, looking around her desk and straightening her papers. "Besides… I don't think that's any of your business," she said stiffly.

Rachel held up her hands. "Sorry, didn't mean to upset you," she said.

Hermione took a deep breath and looked up, trying to conduct herself much better than she had been a few minutes ago. "Why don't you go see if Benguard needs you," she suggested quickly.

Rachel shrugged and left, but not before she said, "If you don't like Ron then go for Alex." With that, she disappeared out the door.

Hermione watched her leave, then sighed. Feelings from years ago started to simmer again, making her heart contract painfully. Swallowing hard, she tried to push those juvenile feelings back down. That part of her life was over. She wasn't seventeen anymore. She didn't feel those things anymore. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"Then why can't I stop thinking about him?"

_"What do you think war is like?" Hermione asked softly as she watched the sun come up. _

_Ron looked down at her and frowned. "We've fought before, 'Mione," he reminded her. _

_Hermione sighed and looked away, closing her eyes as he continued to run his fingers through her hair. "I know, but… I mean actual war… when you see people die…" _

_"I don't know, Hermione," he whispered. "I asked Dad once and he sort of got this painful look in his eye. When I asked Mum, she started crying and told me that she never wanted me to see war." _

_Hermione bit her lip as recent memories flooded her mind. Everything that she had read and had been told came back so vividly and she too almost started crying. She wondered if she should tell him. "Ron… Harry showed me the letter the Ministry sent to you two… he told me…" _

_Ron closed his eyes and Hermione sat up, staring at him. "When were you going to tell me?" she asked calmly. _

_"When I had made my choice," Ron answered, standing up and walking over to the lake side. He watched the giant squid glide across the glittering surface and the sun rise over the mountains. Hermione walked over to him and took his arm. _

_"What was your choice?" _

_"I hadn't made one yet." _

_"Why not?" _

_"Because…" He turned to her. "Every time I tried to, you kept appearing and I couldn't bring myself to think about leaving you behind," he murmured. _

_Hermione smiled slightly. "I guess that's a reasonable answer," she whispered. The truth was, Harry had already told her why Ron had not mentioned the whole thing to her. That truth was a lot harder for Ron to face than this simple one he presented her with, and she would have to accept it. For now… _

Hermione looked up from her files when a knock came to her door. Sighing, she set down her quill and exited her study, heading for the front door. Opening the door, she gasped. Right in front of her was a wonderful array of lilies. White, orange and purple lilies all held in a simple glass vase held by rough hands.

"It's kind of heavy, you know," came the voice she knew so well. Grinning she opened the door wider and let him pass by. He entered her kitchen and set the vase down. She turned to him.

"What's the occasion?" she asked. Ron shrugged.

"I figured you could use some cheering up. I heard you got two more patients who had been attacked," he said. Hermione nodded, touching the flowers carefully.

"You always seem to know how to cheer me up," she whispered before blushing and heading out of the kitchen. Ron followed her into the study where she stood there for a moment, looking around. Taking out her wand she flicked it, watching as several books and newspapers went flying in different directions, placing themselves back in their respective spaces. She then sat down heavily in her seat. Ron sat down next to her and looked at the pictures.

"Wow… those look bad," he whispered. Hermione nodded, her mind wandering back to what had happened that morning. She should tell him about what she saw… but then again… he'd just worry about her and tell her to get checked on. She didn't need him worrying about her.

"Yeah… we still can't figure out what is attacking these people…" she whispered. Ron could hear the frustration in her voice and took her hand.

"Look Hermione. You need to take a break from this. You're obviously wearing yourself out," he said. Hermione shook her head.

"The more time I waste, the faster this thing is going to strike. We were lucky the past few times, but I don't want to lose a patient…"

Ron watched her for a while then sighed, taking his hand away. Hermione instantly felt the loss of warmth and wanted it back. She reached out and took his hand again. Ron looked up at her with searching blue eyes and she blushed. Her conversation with Rachel began to resurface. Coughing, she looked down at her papers.

"I could still use a fresh pair of eyes to help me," she whispered before removing her hand and placing it in her lap carefully. Ron however kept searching her face for something. Tired of the flip flops her stomach was doing, she straightened up and regained her stature. She looked him in the eye and blinked.

"What?" she asked.

He stared at her for a moment, then looked down. "Nothing… I was just thinking about that time when you asked me what-"

"What you thought war would be like," she finished, blushing when he looked at her. She sighed. "I think about that sometimes… About the letter…"

"Why?" Ron asked softly.

Hermione bit her lip and her eyes got glossy. "We all make mistakes, Ron… mine was letting you and Harry go…" With that, she looked down. Ron watched her for a moment then looked down at the files. They sat in an uncomfortable silence as Hermione shifted through her files, pulling out pictures and forms. Her mind played over the events of the days that followed that talk and the horrifying price her and Ron had had to pay for it. Ron finally looked up, holding a form.

"What's gelletone?" he asked. Hermione took the file from his hands and looked it over before realizing what he was talking about.

"It was the type of saliva we found on the little girl as well as the two teenage boys. It's a type of acidy foam that comes from certain types of reptilian creatures. "

"So you know the thing's cold-blooded," he said. Hermione shook her head.

"That's the thing. It's winter and furthermore there are no reptilian _magical_ creatures in England. Those types of creatures come from South America."

"Someone could have brought it over," Ron suggested.

"Even then, there's no creature out there that could do that type of damage. Every predator has a specific way of attacking… every case we've had so far has been completely different."

"What about location?"

Ron and Hermione turned in their seats to see Harry standing at the door way. Hermione shot him a glare.

"When I said you could help yourself in when you needed to, I didn't mean sneak up on us unannounced," she said as Harry sat down at the table. He smirked.

"I didn't want to bother you two," he said. Hermione flushed and looked down at her work.

"What were you saying about location?" Ron asked, changing the subject. Hermione looked up as well, curious. Harry took out a map.

"Well, do you know where your patients have been attacked?" he asked. Hermione shook her head, frantically looking through the files. Her eyes grew as she took out the paper.

"It says that the attacks have been made in the vicinity of… oh my…" she whispered.

"What?" Ron asked. She looked up.

"The attacks have been happening around Hogsmeade…"

Harry and Ron traded glances.

"Hogwarts…"

Hermione frowned. "No… not in Hogwarts. Just in the Forbidden Forest."

"If they knew that the Forbidden Forest was housing a dangerous creature, wouldn't they have had it searched by now?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded.

"They have… many times…" She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Look, guys. It's late. Let's not do this anymore…"

Ron frowned. "You should get some rest," he whispered. Hermione looked up at him and nodded, getting to her feet. The men followed her to the front door of her flat. As she watched them get on their coats, she yawned.

"Don't worry yourselves over this. I'll figure it out," she said. Harry nodded and looked down at her.

"Maybe we should just stop by Hogsmeade this Saturday. You know… pay it a visit and see what's going on?" he suggested. Hermione was about to agree when suddenly the events of that morning came flooding back to her. Her date. She bit her lip and looked over at Ron. Telling Harry about a date was one thing; telling Ron was a nightmare. Harry, however caught her look and frowned.

"Unless you have other plans," he said. Ron's head snapped up immediately, his eyes on her. She shifted and tugged at her hair.

"Well, actually, now that you mention it. I do have something planned," she said, choosing her words carefully.

"What is it?" Ron asked. Hermione faked a yawn and mumbled something into her hand. Ron wasn't fooled.

"What?" he repeated. Hermione sighed.

"I've got a date, okay?" she said in a rush, bracing herself for the onslaught. Ron visibly stiffened and his fingers curled into fist.

"With who?" he gritted out. Hermione glanced over at Harry for help, who seemed to be inching away from Ron.

"With Alex," she whispered.

"ALEX!" Harry instantly grabbed Ron and dragged him out the door, closing it behind him. Hermione walked over to the door and leaned in. She could hear them talking.

"Oh come on, Ron!"

"Alex! Alex Benguard. She hardly knows the guy!" Ron yelled.

"Keep your voice down. Hermione said they went to training together."

"So? We don't even know the guy. How do we know he's trustworthy? Besides, he's an arse!"

"Damn it, Ron. Don't you think you should just give it a rest? Hermione's old enough to make her own decisions without us. I for one don't see a problem in her dating someone."

"Of course you don't, Harry. That's why you're you. You've never actually _met_ the man. He's much older than her and he's just going to use her because she helped in the war!" Ron muttered. Harry let out a frustrated sigh, rolling his eyes.

"I think I remember this argument in fourth year," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Look, Ron. You and Hermione may have dated once, but that's over and it doesn't give you the right to just blow up on her every time _she_ wants to see someone. That's probably the reason she never told you about all the other guys."

"I don't mean to act like that… I just don't want to see her get hurt," Ron whispered. Hermione bit her lip as she felt the guilt set in. There was a pause.

"Ron… Are you sure that's the only reason?" he asked carefully. Hermione froze, waiting to hear his answer. It never came.

"Tell Hermione I had to go… Tell her I'll talk to her later," Ron said. He sounded drained. Hermione could hear him walk off down the stairs. She closed her eyes and sighed.

Typical Ron. Always managing to change the topic when it came to their relationship,if that was what you could call it. Sure they had their moments where they'd share a small kiss or, like the day they went out for lunch, just play around. But could you really call that a relationship? Ever since the breakup, even when they were together he was distant with her. Secretive, even. Not that she could blame him: it had been hard for the both of them to say goodbye to a beautiful relationship. She knew that when he had agreed to wanting different things, he just wanted her. That, above all things, was what made their friendship so hard now. She wanted to move on, while he wanted to stay in the past…

Hermione shook her head and looked up when the door opened again. Harry could tell she had been listening so he didn't bother repeating Ron's message. Hermione sighed.

"How long is he going to keep treating me like I'm fourteen?" she asked. Harry pulled her into a hug.

"Perhaps until you become too old to breed," he suggested. Hermione hit him in the shoulder, pulling away.

"I'm serious, Harry. I'm not Ginny, and I'm not fourteen anymore. I'd wish he'd get that through his thick skull. We're not dating anymore," she whispered.

Harry looked down at her. "I think he's just afraid, Hermione."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid of losing you to another guy…"

**A/N: I know, it's been a while, but I really won't be able to update until about Friday and by then I promise to get Haunted updated. It's just a really hard chapter to write at the moment. Well, here you go.**

**OzDust:** Yeah, Mrs. Weasley is amazing. I wanted to have her in there to give a slight insight onto what might have happened and maybe even why it happened. Don't worry. I'll tell you sooner or later.

**charma10:** Thank you, I hope I do well. Hermione does seem to be messing with him, but Harry seems to have a good idea as to why Ron's not letting go.

**Avanell:** It wouldn't be a wonderful night at the Burrow without a good ol' fight with Mama Weasley!

**Wesker888:** You know... So many of my ideas have started out with the intention of being fluffy. Fun and Games. Obsessions and Possessions. Falling to Pieces, Returning Home and The Boogeyman. They all had the intention of being fluffy. Even you aggreed that Falling to Pieces was a little to fluffy, which did not cause me to make it the way it turned out, but did make me think. I'm not sure. Maybe this one will be fluffy after all? Maybe I could turn from my old ways and make something children friendly and safe for the whole family. Maybe I could...

Forget about it...

You'll see how it turns out.

**Chapter Tease:**

_As they walked, Ron reached out and took her hand. To this, he felt her stiffen and knew that she wanted more than anything for him to let go, but he wouldn't. He wasn't ready to. _


	4. Flashback

**A/N: Here's your explanation.**

Three weeks later and St. Mungos was now hosting twelve more attack victims. Harry and Ron, along with several Aurors had gone over to Hogsmeade and had found nothing. There wasn't a trace of it. Hermione, however, seemed to be having an easy time coping with it. She and Alex were seeing each other regularly and even though she hated to admit it, she found herself thinking about Ron less and less. Not that it was a bad thing; it was just the fact that she hadn't seen Ron ever since the incident at the Burrow. Still, she wasn't worried. She had other things to worry about at the moment.

Hermione found herself sitting in on a briefing with some Aurors and Ministry officials including the current Minister of Magic, Jackson Huntington. St. Mungos had enlisted for their help after the spike in attacks. Hermione was sitting with Benguard. The other chairs were filled with Harry, Mad-Eye Moody, Ron and officials.

"Now, Mr. Benguard, can you tell us a little about these attacks?" the minister asked. Benguard glanced over at Hermione, who was writing some things in her papers, before answering the question.

"We have been unable to identify the cause of these attacks. As you know, a few Aurors were sent over to the attack site and found nothing. This creature, whatever it is, is not leaving a track of any kind."

"Ms. Granger says it's a reptile of some sort," an official said. Hermione looked up at the man and nodded.

"The milky residue we found on the victims faces comes only from reptiles. But that's where the problem comes from. Magical creatures from the reptilian species are not found in Europe at all. They only come from South America."

"Then it must have been brought over," Moody said. Hermione shook her head.

"Not probable. A creature that size would have been noticed by inspection, even if it was disguised. And as I already mentioned to Mr. Weasley, there is no creature known to man that could do that type of damage," she said. Ron's eyes came up at the mention of his surname, surprised that she would actually use his last name. Hermione, however, was determined to keep this purely professional. Jackson Hunington seemed impressed.

"Well, Benguard, it seems your girl knows her stuff," he complimented. He then turned to Moody. "Do you have anything to report?" he asked.

Moody looked over at Harry. "Potter found something yesterday that I think would be of interest," he said, nodding to Harry.

Harry pulled something out of his bag lying on the ground and handed it across the table to Benguard who then handed it to Hermione. Hermione took it and frowned taking the small object out of the plastic bag. It was a small scale that oddly looked familiar yet… She closed her eyes trying to rack her brain on where she had seen it before.

"Ms. Granger!" an official exclaimed when Hermione grabbed her head in pain. A memory was trying to surface and it was as if someone was driving a stake threw her head. She saw the lake again, as well as the two prone boys. But this time things were going in slow motion. She looked around and noticed that it was night, the full moon shining brightly. The thing that slipped past her went slower allowing her to see if for what it truly was. Pale blue eyes and a panting tongue. She saw the pearl white teeth that sparkled in the dark, its slimy green skin glittering in the moonlight. But the thing she noticed most was the tail. About four feet long, it trailed behind the creature like a whip. But at the end was a hook, a wickedly sharp hook that was red with blood. Hermione screamed as the memory once again forced its way to the back of her mind.

"Hermione… Hermione…"

She could hear her voice and moaned from the drilling pain. She opened her eyes slightly, seeing several people standing over her. She then realized she was on the floor. She reached out and someone took her hand helping her up to her feet. It wasn't until she had stumbled into the man's chest that she realized it was Ron. She held on to him for a moment before regaining her balance and instantly pulling away and distancing herself from him by sitting down. She held her head.

"That creature… it's much bigger than I thought… Its main attack weapon is its tail which is why the attacks are never the same. That tail must just flail around instead of going for a specific target which is also why none of the victims we've had are dead…" Hermione lurched forward and retched all over the floor. Benguard had seen enough.

"Ok, that's enough for today," he said hoisting Hermione up in his arms. "Now if you all excuse me, I'll be taking Ms. Granger out of here. She's out for the time being," he said, helping her out of the door. Moody stood up.

"I don't think so. I have some questions for Hermione," he growled out.

Benguard turned to him in shock. "Are you serious? She's sick!"

As if to prove his point, Hermione threw up again, clinging to Benguard's arm in hopes to not fall in on her face.

"Well, tough. Let her rest, clean the floor and we'll continue in five minutes," he barked.

Ron was the first one to stand. "I don't think so, Moody. Harry and I will take her home.

Moody turned to Ron and glared at him. "Since when do you make the decisions, Weasley?"

"She's sick!"

"She'll be fine," Moody said, pointing to her. "Just give her something and she'll be fine."

She threw up again. Ron got fed up with this little back and forth game and went over to Benguard. Taking Hermione in his arms, he carried her out the door, ignoring Moody's commands. Harry glanced over at Moody before hurrying out the door, following close behind Ron. Harry looked down at Hermione as they walked. She looked up at him.

"I feel fine," she whispered. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Yeah and I don't have a scar on my head," he muttered. She frowned and then her eyes bulged.

"Put me down," she whispered. Noticing the look, he obeyed watching as she staggered over to a nearby bathroom and going in. While she was in there, Harry glanced back at the room then up at Ron.

"Moody's going to have your arse," he commented.

Ron snorted and shrugged, saying nothing. After a few moments she exited, looking paler than the two men liked. Ron went over to her and helped her stand.

"Do you feel fine now?" he asked. She shot him a dirty look as he picked her up and carried her to an apparating point. When they got to her apartment, she pleaded to be let down and finally, after wincing from her poking, Ron let her down observing with concern as she made her way over to the couch. He turned to Harry.

"I'm going to make some tea," he whispered before disappearing into the kitchen. Harry walked over and sat next to Hermione. Hermione turned to look at him with a glazed look.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"You just did," Harry replied cheekily. Hermione groaned and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm serious, Harry," she grumbled. Harry sighed.

"I'm sorry, what did you want to ask?" he asked, looking down at her bushy hair. She shifted so that she was more comfortable on the couch, still resting her head on his shoulder.

"Am I a bad person?" she asked quietly. Harry frowned.

"For what?" he asked. She looked up at him.

"For making Ron believe that things could be better between us," she said. Harry searched her pale face for a moment.

"Do you think you're making him believe that things could be better or are you trying to make yourself believe that things could be better? You're dating Alex, Hermione," he pointed out. Hermione groaned again.

"I'm horrible," she whispered. Harry took her face in his hands.

"Hermione… Hermione look at me. Do you love Ron?" he asked. The question was so simple, yet she found herself pondering it. Did she love Ron? Sure she felt strongly about him, but was that enough to be called love? What was love anyway? Was it truly something wonderful or was it just some stupid reason people made up so that they could shag? Hermione must have been quiet for to long because Harry sighed and got up. Hermione watched him move around.

"How are things with you and Ginny?" she asked, deciding that now was the time to switch gears. Harry gave her a look before sitting down in one of the chairs.

"We're fine. She forgave me for whatever the hell I did," he said. Hermione nodded, gingerly touching her head and wincing. She must have fallen pretty hard. She could feel the bruise. Ron finally entered, carefully levitating three cups of tea. Harry took his and watched as Ron handed Hermione hers. She took it graciously, sipping silently. They all sat there quietly for a while, just thinking when someone knocked at the door. Harry got up.

"Who is it?" he called.

"Alex! Is Hermione in there?" he asked. Hermione jerked and then set down her tea. She struggled to her feet but Ron grabbed her arm.

"Oh no, you don't. You're not seeing anyone right now," he said. Hermione pulled her arm away from him.

"If I can handle you I can certainly handle my own boyfriend," she snapped, knowing that saying boyfriend would make Ron back down. Ron's face grew passive at the word and he sat back down, eyes on his tea. Hermione wasn't going to concern herself with him.

"Let him in," she told Harry. Harry frowned but did what she asked, opening the door. Alex went immediately over to Hermione taking her face in his hands.

"You ok?" he asked. Hermione managed a weak smile.

"I'm not dead if that's what you're asking," she said. Alex smiled and gave her kiss on the lips before reaching up and touching the bump on her head.

"Ow, that looks bad. Has anyone looked at that?" he asked. Hermione shook her head, wincing slightly. Alex sighed and led her back to the couch. He nodded a greeting to Ron, who didn't return it. Instead, Ron stood up and went back into the kitchen. Hermione glanced at Harry, who shrugged and followed Ron. Hermione let Alex treat her, knowing that he wouldn't rest until he did. Leaning back on his heel, Alex touched her face gently.

"You need to take it easy," he whispered. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I didn't do anything… it must have just been some spell residue or something… I'm fine now," she insisted. Alex smiled and kissed her again.

"Do you need me to stay?" he asked. Hermione glanced over to the kitchen then shook her head.

"I think Ron and Harry have it covered. They'll probably be here for a while. I'll see you later, ok?" she said. Alex nodded, gave her one more kiss and turned to leave.

"See you later, Harry, Ron!" he called as he left the flat. Hermione couldn't help but be amazed by the man. The fact that he was ok with leaving his sick girlfriend in the hands of two perfectly capable men was amazing to her. Hermione wobbled to her feet and began to make her way to her bedroom.

"Hey Harry!" she called. Harry poked his head out of the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to bed," she said before disappearing into the hall. Harry nodded and went back into the kitchen where a seething Ron was _manually_ washing the dishes. Harry frowned.

"You do know that you can use your wand," he said. Ron shot him a look before turning back to what he was doing. Harry sighed. He wanted to get out of here and maybe check some things at work before going home.

"How long are you going to be here, because I think I'm in trouble with Ginny again so I have to go," he said. Ron didn't turn around when he answered.

"You can go… I'll stay for a while, make sure she's ok," he said. Harry wasn't exactly sure it was a good idea, but then again, he didn't want to be here when Hermione got better and started picking fights with them because they took her home instead of leaving her at Mungos. Harry sighed again and turned to leave.

"I'll see you later, mate," he said over his shoulder before gathering his coat and disapparating. Ron continued to do the dishes in an uncomfortable silence. Suddenly he wished Harry had stayed to keep him company and keep his mind off of the woman that was occupying the bedroom nearby. He had been thinking about her so much lately that it was starting to wear on him. He knew he should be happy for her and everything, but some how he felt himself hating Alex even more. The way he got close to her and kissed her. The way he spoke to her and the way she responded. He hated it and he hated himself for hating it. Alex had done nothing wrong and Hermione was well within her right to see him.

Ron put the dishes away and then leaned on the counter, sighing. He knew he had to let go of the past, but every time he saw her he didn't want to. He wanted to hold on to what Hermione was desperately trying to get rid of. A past in which pain served a great part. Pain had ruled most of their relationship, with the death of her parents, Remus Lupin and several other close friends such as Luna Lovegood, Hermione had become more distant in the relationship, eventually resorting to pulling away from him whenever he tried to touch her or just leaving the room whenever he came. That had been the reason they had broken up. To save themselves from the agony of trying to make the relationship work when it was obviously falling apart. The worse part was, Hermione had every reason to get out. Ron had been there when her parents had died. He had been forced to watch. He knew that, in some way, Hermione still saw that when she looked at him. She saw her parents and it hurt.

Pulling himself away from the counter, Ron looked around the kitchen, remembering when she had first bought it. Harry had actually been the one to pick it out and Hermione had fallen in love with it. It was close to London, but a wizard owned building so she didn't have to worry about using magic.

"Harry left?"

Ron turned to see Hermione watching him carefully as she leaned against the door post.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Hermione walked slowly over to the kitchen table and sat down. "I almost forgot you were a Healer for a moment," she grumbled. Ron couldn't help but smile. She was getting better. He went over and sat across from her.

"Does your head still hurt?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Alex fixed that," she replied, yawning. Ron stiffened slightly at the mention but decided not to pursue it. Instead, he just watched as she played around with the salt shaker. She then lay her head down on the table.

"Do you want to know what I saw?" she asked, her voice muffled slightly from being in the table. Ron shrugged.

"What did you see?" he asked. Hermione raised her head.

"It was some huge lizard or crocodile of some sort. Ten feet long from tail to head. It ran on all fours… Green scaly skin and pale blue eyes…" Hermione looked into Ron's eyes. "The worse thing was its tail… there's a huge hook on the end. Most likely just sharpened bone. I've never seen anything like it before," she said.

Ron shrugged. "You shouldn't be worrying about it right now," he said. Hermione slammed her fist down on the table, making him jump. She glared at him.

"Look! Benguard's my superior so I have to listen to him. But that doesn't mean I have to listen to you. I'm fine, ok. So don't start the whole, 'you should be in bed' thing. You do it one more time and I'll get rid of something that's special to you," she growled, standing to her feet and leaving the kitchen. Ron winced slightly before standing and hurrying after her.

"Hermione! Hermione stop. Just a few hours ago you were retching all over the place. I'm just going by what I see. I don't want you getting hurt," he said. Hermione looked up at him for a moment then turned to her bedroom.

"Do you remember that day we won the Cup for Gryffindor?" she asked. "When I got drunk?"

Ron frowned but nodded. "Yeah, I remember. I had to take you to your room because you could hardly stand," he said. Hermione was about to enter her room when she stopped and looked at him.

"I wasn't drunk. I used a charm I read from a book to see what you would do if you knew I was vulnerable and had no idea what was going on around me…" she whispered. She smiled to herself. "I know you don't want me to get hurt because you didn't want to take advantage of me… not much has changed," she said before going into her room and closing the door behind her. Ron couldn't help but smile to himself at Hermione's confession. Not much had changed at all…

_Hermione looked up as Ron came outside, his hands in his pockets and his eyes down. Hermione bit her lip and looked away, watching as the sun continued to go down. Ron didn't sit, but stood next to the small bench in the backyard, watching the sunset as well. He then looked down at her and his heart fell even further. The tear stains and tissue in her hand told him enough. _

_"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked. _

Why does she have to be so damn beautiful?

_"Yeah… I guess," he muttered. _

_Hermione closed her eyes and he could she that she was struggling not to cry. _

Lord, please give me strength_, she prayed. _

_She looked up at him. "Look, Ron-" _

_"Do you want to go for a walk?" he interrupted quickly, starting for the woods beyond the makeshift Quidditch field. _

_Hermione watched him go and then stood up slowly, following. She knew that he was trying to prolong it. Trying to distract her from the overwhelmingly painful reality they were now living. _

_As she went to catch up with him, she noticed how his hair glowed slightly in the pinkish orange glow that was created as the sun continued to sink on them. She would miss just watching him. _

_He stopped and waited for her then they walked together, entering the woods and just trying to enjoy each others company. The weak sunrays filtered in through the trees, lighting their path with gentle patterns on the ground. As they walked, Ron reached out and took her hand. To this, he felt her stiffen and knew that she wanted more than anything for him to let go, but he wouldn't. He wasn't ready to. _

_A light breeze came in through the trees and Hermione took that chance to pull away from Ron, crossing her arms and moving slightly faster. She racked her brain for the right words to say, but before she could start, Ron spoke. _

_"Do you remember the summer before seventh year? When we came out here?" _

_Hermione closed her eyes and tears started flowing down her cheeks. Ron hadn't noticed. _

_"I think that's the tree we used to go to. It was out of sight from the Burrow," he went on. _

Why does he have to make this harder? Does he want us to suffer?

_She turned to him, and they stopped. Ron finally looked up at her and in that moment, Hermione realized how much harder this would be. The tears came harder and he reached out for her but she shoved him away, glaring at him through hot tears. _

_"No! No!" she told him. "Don't." _

_"Hermione," he tried. _

_She shook her head, closing her eyes as the tears fell. "Please Ron… don't make this harder…" _

_Ron just watched her as she tried to collect her emotions. He could see how much she was trying not to look at him. How much she was trying to get away. _

_"Hermione… we don't have to do this," he whispered. _

_"Yes… yes we do. We have to do this. For your sake as much as mine," she said. Her voice seemed to be trying to convince herself rather than Ron. _

_"Hermione-" _

_"It's over, Ron," she whispered, biting her lip to keep herself from sobbing. "You and I both know that…" _

_Ron stared at her for a moment then looked away, trying to hide his own grief. He placed his hands on his head and looked around like a lost child. The look on his face and the pain in his eyes tore her apart as well. She wanted to let him know that it was better. That they would both be happier this way. But the truth was, they wouldn't be happier anyway. At least not as far as Hermione could see. The consequences of the bloodshed had dealt their death toll over the two and were awaiting the final ride to a darker place. Hermione couldn't handle being in his presence anymore and began to make her way back to the Burrow. _

_"This is it?" _

_Hermione closed her eyes. "Ron… please, just let me go…" _

_He let her go… _

_By this time, the sun had gone down completely…_

**A/N: This was fun to make. **

**FallenAngelGirl:** Thank you very much!

**ako:** Yeah, well... Hermione's not doing any better.

**LitaFanForLife:** Thank you, I'm glad you like it.

**Wesker888:** I sorry! I actually didn't take your comment that way! I just felt like talking, that's all! I'm sorry if you felt like I was attacking you or something. You're one of my best reviewers!

**OzDust:** Things will get even more interesting then you'll really be damning people.

**Chapter Tease:**

_"Ginny! Mr. Hanton!" _

_The creature stopped, tail flickering as the sounds of people calling grew closer. The creature then turned and fled the scene, disappearing among the dark cresses of the Forbidden Forest. _


	5. Unpredictable

**A/N: I usually have some quotation here, but lately, I haven't found anything appropriate for this... I guess I'm becoming lazy.**

"Hey… wake up," Hermione whispered, nudging Ron gently. Groaning he sat up on the couch rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Hermione gave him a smirk.

"When you said you were taking me home I didn't think you meant you were spending the night," she said, sitting down beside him.

"What time is it?" he asked groggily, rubbing the back of his neck. Hermione shrugged.

"Pretty early. Probably seven," she answered. Ron looked over at her.

"You look awake now," he said. Hermione smiled.

"Well, when you know that there's a strange man sleeping on your couch you tend to sleep very well," she said. Ron chuckled and stood up, stretching. This action pulled his shirt up and exposed his very sexy abs. Hermione couldn't help but blush and look away, forcing herself to think about anything other than his abs. Ron noticed her and smirked.

"Like what you see?" he asked cheekily. Hermione went completely red and indignant. She puffed up.

"Not really, no," she answered, huffing over to the kitchen. Ron followed her, taking her arm and twisting her around so that she was right up against him.

"There must be something you like," he said. Hermione could feel her heart pounding in her chest at his close proximity and her breathing began to shallow out when she saw his eyes flicker down to her lips. Her mouth was dry, as were her lips as he leaned in and kissed her softly. Ron felt her gasp into his mouth as he pulled her closer, moving his head to get better access to her lips. Her trembling hands came up to his face, holding him as their kisses grew more aggressive. Teeth and tongue soon became relevant as they began to drown themselves in a false reality. Hermione could feel Ron's arms around her waist and could feel him trying to pull her closer and she allowed it. Keeping one hand on the small of her back, Ron's other hand came up to her cheek, caressing it gently as Hermione's hands fell from his face to his chest where she could feel his heart pounding as they tried desperately to fill the hole that had been left over six years ago. The fact that Hermione was going along with this was what was scaring Ron. He knew her. She'd back out soon and the fall would be harder for him than it would be for her. She'd come crashing back to reality and distance herself again.

Sure enough, she pushed him away gently, eyes down and glazed. She seemed slightly disoriented for a moment before she looked up at him with cold but searching eyes. She bit her lip and coughed.

"I'm not drunk, Ron," she murmured before pulling away from him and leaving the room. Ron watched her leave and could feel his heart clench.

He was wrong. Her fall would be much, much harder.

* * *

Ginny tried not to smile as she walked along the path with George Hanton. She had been called to Hogwarts to help escort the Minister's right hand man through the Forbidden Forest, while keeping an eye on at least twenty seventh-years who were interested in plant life deeper into the Forest itself. She wasn't as good in Herbology as Neville Longbottom, but he had asked her to help out with the class for the day. Ginny would occasionally look ahead to make sure that the students weren't out of her sight.

"You used to go here, right?" George asked. Ginny nodded.

"I graduated almost six years ago," she said. "I've been helping Neville whenever I can. I usually just work at the Burrow, where I can use my mum's garden to grow plants and such," she explained. George seemed impressed, and he looked around.

"Now, what about that creature? The one they said students should be careful of?" George asked. Ginny shook her head.

"I've been told that the attacks are more concentrated around the Hogsmeade area. So far we have nothing to worry about," she responded. George frowned.

"But we still have something to worry about," he said. Ginny didn't answer, treading carefully over rocks and roots so that she wouldn't trip. George frowned as he watched her.

"You okay?" he asked, noticing her slightly excited face. She looked up at him and tried to hide the smile.

"I'm fine… I've just been… distracted," she said for lack of a better word. But George could tell that she was hiding something. She was constantly watching her and smiling to herself.

"How are things going with you and Potter?" he asked casually. Not much to his surprise, she stumbled slightly and her eyes got bright. She took a deep intake of air and looked over at him.

"We're fine," she answered with a smile. There was a rumble and Ginny looked up, groaning.

"It's going to rain," she whispered. Sure enough, it started to shower. Not much, but Ginny didn't look too pleased.

"Miss Weasley! Hurry!"

The two turned to see a boy waving his hands frantically for them to come. They took off, drawing wands. Ginny nearly screamed at what she saw. Three students, two boys and a girl, were lying on the ground, groaning. The girl was better off than the two others, her back ruined. The two boys' legs were skinned and one boy's arm was almost gone. Ginny ran over, pushing herself past the crowd of students and falling to her knees. George came up next to her, eyes wide.

"What happened?" she demanded. The girl on the ground gasped for air.

"We… we were just playing around… I didn't see what it was…" she gasped, crying out in pain. Ginny turned to George.

"I'll stay here, you get help!" she said. The man took out his wand when Ginny stopped him, shaking her head.

"We're still on Hogwarts' grounds. You can't apparate," she told him. He nodded and started off, disappearing into the woods. It wasn't long, however, until he let out a scream and came flying through the bushes, knocking into several girls. Ginny stood, eyes on the area where he had just come from, and then gasped.

"Run!" she screamed. Suddenly, out of the bushes burst a creature she had never seen, and wished she hadn't. Its pale blue eyes and sharp needle-like teeth added to the intimidating figure and hooked tail. Girls screamed. The thing let out a shriek and then dove into the midst of the panicked group. Ginny grabbed the girl and pulled her out of the way just in time to escape the flailing bone. One of the boys helped her as several students ran for it. The creature however, was faster, catching of many of them with its hook. Screams rent the air as the creature suddenly turned a pale blue eye on Ginny. The thing began to stalk her and the wounded girl with her. George, who had finally gotten up from the ground tried to get to his wand, but the long tail stopped him in his tracks, felling him with a nasty gash down one thigh. Ginny could hear her heart pounding as she struggled to pull the girl backwards and brush her wet hair out of her eyes as the creature approached.

"Ginny! Mr. Hanton!"

The creature stopped, tail flickering as the sounds of people calling grew closer. The creature then turned and fled the scene, disappearing among the dark cresses of the Forbidden Forest.

* * *

Hermione exited another emergency room, wiping her bloodied hands on her robes. Her mind on the sudden intake of students from Hogwarts, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran right into Ron.

"Ron! What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised. Ron pointed to the next door, then to the waiting room full of worried relatives of the students St. Mungo's was currently housing. Many were constantly stopping a nurse or Healer who happened to rush by on their way to another room occupying an injured student. She caught sight of the Weasleys easily.

"What are you all doing here for?" she asked.

"Ginny's in here," Ron answered as Harry came up, his face extremely pale.

"Is she okay? Tell me she's okay," he asked frantically. Hermione shook her head.

"I didn't know she was here… I'll go in right now," she said, releasing herself from Harry's grip and entering the room. She found Ginny sitting on an examining table while a nurse looked her over. Hermione thanked the nurse and told her that she could leave.

"What happened?" Hermione asked after the woman left. Ginny shook her head.

"I don't know, Hermione. It happened so fast. One moment I'm talking to Hanton and the next minute I'm hearing screams all over the place. The thing was coming right for me, Hermione," Ginny said. Hermione frowned.

"You saw it," she said. Ginny nodded. "And it came right for you…"

**A/N: OOOOO! Now things are starting to look up. Heated snogging and awsome creature attacks. Yeah. I'm good... or cocky. Take your pick. **

**OzDust:** Ron's a wonderful person, and until Hermione realizes that, I'm the only one who can have him. :-) I'm glad you liked those parts. I had been thinking about the books and then I realized that Ron would never wash dishes manually, so if he _was _then something must have been _really_ bothering him.

**Wesker888:** Well, you were right about it getting a bit more actiony. (That's not even a word!) Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way. Keep on reviewing and I'll keep on writing.

**LitaFanForLife:** Thank you!

**charma10:** Little bits are my style. Besides, if I gave it to you in one chapter that would ruin all the angst and tension that's been building up ever since the topic was brought up. You're right about one thing. She may not be over him, but she's damn near close. Ron needs to try a little harder!

**Chapter Tease: (This story is almost done on my computer, so I'll be giving you chapter teases for a while.)**

_Hermione bit her lip to keep herself from crying. "Ron… Ron, I… I can't," she whispered. Ron took her face in his hands. _

_"Hermione, please… I don't want to lose you again," he murmured. He leaned in and kissed her all over her face, but she wouldn't let him kiss her lips. Her eyes closed for a moment before she pushed his hands away. _

_"Ron, please! I… you promised me you wouldn't do this…" _

**I'm sure some of you recognise this from The Lord's Judgment. YES! We have reached that point!**


	6. Escape

**A/N: I've got to ask you guys something after this.**

It was two hours later when Hermione found herself in her office, exhausted and thoroughly confused. Her mind was trying to grasp the reason for these attacks. At first she thought it was only interested in small children but when she learned about George Hanton and Ginny, her earlier hypotheses had vanished quickly. What creature would focus all of its previous attention on adolescent youths and suddenly start attacking adults? She groaned and rested her head on the desk.

"You look happy."

"Not now, Harry," Hermione muttered, sighing. Harry sat down in one of the chairs and watched her carefully.

"You still can't figure out why it attacked Ginny, can you?" he asked quietly. Hermione looked up at him.

"It doesn't make any sense, Harry. I thought… but that doesn't matter now… I have absolutely no idea what I'm dealing with. Ginny's description of the creature, as well as the other students, was the same as mine, proving nothing."

"Maybe you have to look deeper?" he suggested, hating to see Hermione beat herself up over this. Hermione sighed.

"How's Ginny?" she asked. Harry realized her need to change the subject and went along with it.

"She's okay now," he said. Hermione noticed that his eyes brightened considerably at the mention of his girlfriend. He turned to her.

"How's Alex?" he asked. Hermione smiled, glad that the topic had successfully moved away from her work.

"He's doing great. He's out of town for the moment, but coming back in two days," she answered. Harry nodded, then frowned.

"What about you and Ron?" he asked carefully. Hermione stiffened and looked down at her papers.

"What about Ron and I?" she repeated purposefully. Harry groaned.

"Damn it, Hermione. It's been two weeks! I can't stand it anymore. You two need to get back on the friendly side, and that starts with you apologizing."

Hermione's eyes expanded. "Me! Why should I apologize? He kissed me!"

"Yeah, but you pushed him away. Just because you two aren't dating anymore doesn't mean Ron doesn't care about you, Hermione," Harry said. Hermione closed her eyes.

"I know, Harry… I know. Look, I'm not about to apologize, okay? And that's just something you're going to have to live with," she sighed. "Now if you'll excuse me." She stood and collected some files and headed for the door. . Setting off down the hall, Hermione went down the stairs and into one of the attack victims' rooms. Two teenage girls looked up and smiled as Hermione went over to them to check their wounds. As Hermione examined the gashes, she looked up from time to time.

"You two doing okay?" she asked. The girls nodded.

"We're fine… How are the others?" one girl asked. Hermione stood back.

"Everyone's going to be fine," she responded. The girl frowned.c1

"Then why are you keeping the ones that were attacked over a month ago?" she asked.

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked. The girl shrugged.

"My brother's friend's sister was the little girl who got attacked first," she explained. Hermione was about to answer when the door opened and Ron came walking in. The two girls in bed blushed furiously, but Hermione puffed up.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, walking over to him.

"I need to talk to you," he whispered. Hermione bit her lip.

"Ron, this isn't exactly the best time. I've got work to do, so maybe we could talk later," she suggested. Ron took her arm, pulling her closer.

"I've got to talk to you," he insisted. Hermione looked away.

"This isn't the time or the place to talk," she whispered, starting to move around him. Ron let out a frustrated sigh, grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. He dragged her down the hall and into an empty room, finally letting her go. She turned to him, glaring.

"Ronald Weasley, you have no right!" She growled. She was about to leave when Ron once again grabbed her and pinned her to the wall.

"Damn it, Mione! Listen to me for once…" He reached up and touched her cheek. "I love you," he whispered. Hermione's eyes grew and started to water as Ron continued. "And I'm not about to sit around and do nothing while some ass comes in and takes you away."

Hermione bit her lip to keep herself from crying. "Ron… Ron, I… I can't," she whispered. Ron took her face in his hands.

"Hermione, please… I don't want to lose you again," he murmured. He leaned in and kissed her all over her face, but she wouldn't let him kiss her lips. Her eyes closed for a moment before she pushed his hands away.

"Ron, please! I… you promised me you wouldn't do this…"

"Why are you pushing me away?" Ron demanded. Hermione's eyes grew and the tears came, along with a choked sob. She moved along the wall towards the corner, distancing herself from him.

"I don't want to see them when I see you… I don't want to blame you for what happened, Ron. This is the only way," she said. Ron shook his head.

"It's not the only way… it's not the only way. I love you, Hermione," he whispered. Hermione bit her lip as the tears came down her cheeks. She looked away from him, her mind racing for more excuses. Why was she pushing him away? Why was she subjecting herself to a life that she knew she didn't want?

_Because you're scared of him. No, you're not scared of him, you're terrified of him. You're terrified of how he makes you feel. You're terrified of the way it feels to be in his arms because you know that the whole time you're thinking of your parents as well as how much you love him. You can't stand accusing him, so you stay away. You're afraid and you know it,_ a reasonable little voice in her head said.

**_And yet, you can't stand to be without him. That's why you kiss him. That's why you get close enough for comfort but not enough to officially declare an item. You're a bomb, Hermione. You're a bomb that Ron wants to explode. Alex defuses you. But you can't stand being a dud so you go to Ron, waiting for that moment where he'll set you off. This is that moment, Hermione,_** an evil little voice hissed.

Hermione looked up at Ron and shook her head before moving towards the door. Ron wasn't about to let her go, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a passionate kiss. Caught off guard for a moment, Hermione regained her balance and tried to pull away but he kept her close and pushed her back into the wall, keeping her lips glued to his. Hermione tried to struggle, not wanting past memories to resurface due to this situation. But as Ron continued to kiss her, her will to leave soon disappeared, replaced by her need to get closer. These kisses, unlike the others, were desperate. Desperate for the explosion. Desperate for that moment where she'd stop acting scared and finally let go.

Hermione held Ron's face in place as their lips moved against each other in fast motions, tongues coaxing moans out of both of them. Hermione could feel herself slowly slipping away again, but this time, she didn't want to come back to reality. She wanted to stay in Ron's arms. She wanted to be saved from the false life she had been living. Hermione felt Ron's hands come up and down her back forcing a loud moan out of her. She didn't know why she had started crying. All she knew is that his confession had invoked something in her and right now, she didn't want to think about it.

Ron had managed to unbutton her robes and push one side off her shoulder. To his delight, she was wearing a tank top under the robes which gave him easy access to her shoulder. Hermione leaned her head back giving him better contact. Hermione's hands fell to his shoulders, taking a tight grip when Ron bit down on her skin. The ministration he was lavishing on her neck was driving her off her rocker. The circles he was drawing on her back was taking her to the brink. Ron's hands came back up to her face as well as his lips. He kissed her harder as she cried, wanting to get rid of every tear she had cried for him. He wanted to kiss away every heartache he had given her. The only thing that brought them back to reality was the embarrassed coughing of two nurses who had entered the room, ready to prepare it for a patient.

Ron and Hermione jumped apart as if they had been burned, chests heaving from lack of oxygen. There was a moment of awkward silence until Ron coughed and quickly exited the room, leaving Hermione to the two, now smiling, nurses. The first woman grinned.

"So... where's your _other_ boyfriend?" she asked. Hermione shot a look at the nurses then carefully straightened her robes, wiping away the tears that had just been shed. She then left the room. She tried to focus on what she was doing but her mind kept on wandering back to Ron's confession. Ron's kiss. After ten minutes of trying to focus, she left the emergency rooms and started up to her office.

Suddenly she was yanked into her office by the arm and the door slammed behind her. Hermione was once again crushed against the door as Ron's lips descended on hers. Meeting him with equal eagerness, she soon took control of the situation. Tired of their wall game, she managed to maneuver herself around and back up until the back of her legs hit her desk. Getting the idea, Ron reached behind her and shoved the stuff off the table, not breaking contact the whole time. Hermione took out her wand and flicked it at the door, contenting herself with the faint click before moaning into Ron's mouth as he laid her down on the desk. She began to whimper when his hands started to make their way up her thigh, massaging her as they went. Their kisses grew more wanton as they fell deeper into the dream world they were in. But like most good things in life, this euphoria ended quickly with a simple knock on the door.

"Hermione? Hermione, are you in there?" came Alex's voice. Hermione's eyes widened and she shoved Ron off herself. Ron caught himself and looked around frantically. Hermione picked up her wand and waved it around, making papers and other objects go back to their respective places on her desk. Hermione then motioned for Ron to sit at the desk as she sat behind hers. She flicked her wand at the door then took a deep breath.

"Come in," she said hoarsely, her mouth growing dry. Ron was slightly pale as he turned to see Alex come in. Hermione tired to smile as she stood up and walked over to him.

"Hey, Alex. What are you doing here?" she asked. Alex glanced down at Ron before turning to her, suspicion dancing in his eyes.

"Why was the door locked?" he asked. Hermione coughed and pointed to Ron.

"Important business… We didn't want people barging in on us," she lied. Ron stood up.

"I'll get the report to you by tonight, if that's alright?" he asked. Hermione, catching his meaning, nodded.

"Ok," she answered. Glancing over at Alex with a look of mistrust and loathing, Ron left the office. Hermione sighed and sat back down.

"You ok?" Alex asked. Hermione nodded.

"Yeah… I'm just exhausted… that's all," she said. Trying to clear her head of the snogging session she had just had with Ron, she looked up at him and tilted her head to the side. "I thought you weren't going to be here for another two days?"

Alex shook his head. "I decided to come back early," he answered.

She then frowned.

"Is that blood on your face?" she asked. Alex's eyes grew slightly.

"Oh that. I was eating some spaghetti for lunch. Must have forgotten to wipe it off," he said. Hermione stood and went over to him, taking hold of his face and examining it carefully. But before she could say anything else Alex removed her hands and wiped the smudge off himself. She looked up at him and he leaned down and kissed her gently. Hermione couldn't help but compare his kiss to Ron's. Though Alex was a great kisser, his kisses were not the same as Ron's. The way Ron kissed her provoked something from deep inside her. It made her feel the way she did when they were seventeen.

There was a knock at the door and Hermione pulled away instantly.

"Who is it?" she asked. Rachel opened the door, her face pale.

"There's something wrong with George Hanton," she said. Hermione frowned.

"What?" she asked. Rachel shrugged.

"I don't know. Benguard just said to get you and that Hanton was acting strange," she said. Hermione glanced up at Alex.

"I have to go," she said apologetically. Alex nodded and Hermione followed Rachel out of the office, down to the CII section and into Hanton's private room. To her surprise, Hanton was strapped down to his bed, though it looked like the magical ropes would break in a few moments. Benguard and another Healer named Bury were whispering quietly in the corner, their eyes on the patient. Hermione crossed over to them.

"What's going on?" she asked, jumping when Hanton let out a cry of pain. Bury pointed to the man.

"He was foaming earlier, but now he's just in pain. We can't stop it," he explained. Hermione could see that the man was in incredible pain, yet… She frowned and cautiously approached the struggling man. With a closer view, Hermione could see his skin stretching. His nails were bleeding, yet there was something bothering Hermione. She had seen this before; not the bleeding, but she had seen this before. The slight convulsing. The painful look. The stretched skin. She took out her wand and pointed it to the man's shirt, watching as it came off.

Rachel gasped. Several places on the man's stomach were turning a blackish color. They weren't growing though; they just stayed like that. Bury approached.

"You see there?" he said, pointing to the spots. "Those are reptilian scales." Benguard was about to say something when Rachel started pointing frantically at the man's hands.

"Look… Webs!" she exclaimed. Sure enough, his hands were growing webs, like a frog's. Hermione's mind was reeling.

"How…"

Benguard pulled back Rachel just in time to avoid the loose foot that had escaped the ropes. He stood up and pointed to the door.

"Everyone out, now!" he ordered. They were marched out into the hall. Hermione looked over at Rachel.

"You okay?" she asked. Rachel gave a faint nod before turning to Benguard.

"Thanks, by the way," she said. Benguard nodded, eyes on Bury.

"Reptilian, eh? What does it mean, though? This thing never affected any of the other victims, but now… none of this makes any sense," he said in frustration.

* * *

Hermione returned to her office, physically and mentally exhausted. She closed the door behind her and slid down the wall to the floor, where she leaned her head back and tried to think.

She knew that in a couple of hours, Ron would be arriving at her apartment, thinking that her mind had been made up, but the truth was, she was more confused now then she had ever been. Her mind kept on bringing up the reason they had broken up in the first place but her heart kept on telling her that it didn't matter any more.

Maybe she was just a coward. Maybe she was just afraid of facing the past. Afraid of facing her parents' death.

Was that it?

Was she pushing Ron away because she hadn't dealt with her own personal pain?

It had not been his fault. He had been forced to watch but when Hermione had come, all she saw was her parents lying dead and Ron standing there helplessly, not doing a thing. That image had ingrained itself in her mind and haunted her while she slept.

She knew she was being childish, but… the pain she felt and the feeling of loss that had swept over her like a wave was so great that she had to break up with Ron. Ever since the war had ended they had gotten worse. They had screamed at each other, ignored each other… Ron had even hit her once, though she had to admit it was completely her fault. She had continued to blame him for her parents' death, screaming at him and saying hurtful things about how he wanted to kill her parents and that she hated him. All the while, Ron had sat there unmoving, listening to her. Harry had even tried to intervene, telling Hermione that if she didn't stop she'd regret it.

They both ended up regretting it.

After about a half-hour of hearing her berate him and belittle him, Ron had rounded on her and hit her, roaring on about how she should go to hell.

The next instant, he disapparated to Hogs' Head and Hermione was left on the floor in tears.

Ron was found the next day in his apartment, pissed, completely wasted and with every painful recollection of what had happened the night before.

Hermione had a black eye and a broken heart.

Hermione closed her eyes as the tears poured down her face. They had both given each other second chances after that incident, but the damage had been done. They both felt the pain of that one night double and triple over the course of a few weeks and Hermione made the choice to rid themselves of it.

Hermione took a deep breath and looked down at her hands, her mind wandering back to a few hours ago when Ron had kissed her.

It had felt so good to be back in his arms again. To know that the world would wait because she was with him.

Hermione hadn't felt that way in so long and she wasn't sure if she'd ever feel that way with Alex.

He was a nice man and he cared about her, but… would she really be able to be happy with him. Would she really be able to enjoy his company and feel alive in his arms?

Hermione closed her eyes and placed her head in her hands, groaning.

_Why does love have to be so hard?_

Why couldn't there be a wrong or right choice instead of an easy or hard choice? Why couldn't you read about this in a book somewhere and then be able to handle it with the precision she handled everything else with?

_That's your problem Hermione. That's why you're so afraid to go back to Ron. Because he's not like Alex. _

_You feel in control when you're around Alex but when you're with Ron, all caution goes out the window. You're vulnerable with Ron… and that's what scares you the most. Being vulnerable. _

Hermione looked around her office then to her desk.

Could she really live with being vulnerable?

Then her mind went back to how Ron had quietly let her walk away, not only after they had broken up but every other time they were together. She remembered the pain that filled his eyes every time she pulled away and realized he had been vulnerable ever since they broke up.

He had been living with that vulnerability for a long time and now… she had to make a choice.

Would she live with it too or would she go back to her clear rules and boundaries? Would she go back to her world of explanations and Alex?

**A/N: I bet you can't guess! I bet you can't guess! I'll give twenty points to whoever gets it right! Thirty points for creativeness and fifty if you're completely wrong but you came up with a good reason for it being right. **

**GoodbyeYBR:** I was thinking about that and I was trying to find a good transition, but as you've noticed some of the chapters have been a bit shorter. The last chapter and this chapter were from the same Word document, so you can see how I was pushing it a little. I try not to make my chapters too short, but sometimes I have to to conceal information I'm not ready to give out yet. I'm sorry it was a bit rushed, but I hope you liked it any way.

**kerosinkanister:** I guess so, but that's also part of Ron's personality. He likes to push things, especially with Hermione and I seriously doubt he'd give up, especially when he sees that he has a slight chance of getting her back. He'll push her to her limit before he'll back down and by then it'll be too late. I _love_ your name. I'm a pyro so kerosine is my hero.

**OzDust:** :-)

**LitaFanForLife:** Thank you.

**Wesker888: **Know it is not a very good thing as you will see in later chapters.

**Avanell:** Well after what happened in this chapter, I'm not sure about dragging it out, though knowing me I could give Hermione some reason to stay with Alex.

**charma10:** Why, thank you! I must say, everyone's being quite hard on Hermione without knowing the full facts of why she's trying to push Ron away. I know she shouldn't be leading him on like she does, but she does have reasons for her coldness. The biggest one being explained just now. I'm glad you're into the story, but don't worry about me doing anything shifty. I'm shifty-free! Anyway, hope you liked this.

**Now, I have to ask everyone something and I'd like all of your imput, not just the regular reviewers. As many of you might know, I'm not one to stick to just one story until it's done and in the past four days I have completely finished a eighteen chapter story and have started on it's sequel. Now, I must ask you if it would be wrong of me to post this story while still writing two other stories that are not done. **

**Thank you!**


	7. Revelation

**Disclaimer: HP isn't mine.**

"Hermione?" Ron called, entering the flat and closing the door. Hermione bit her lip and got up from the couch. Taking off his coat, he frowned when he saw her expression as she approached him.

When they reached each other, she stopped and hesitated, her eyes revealing an expression Ron could not describe.

"Why did you let me walk away?" she asked so quietly, Ron had to strain to hear her.

He was silent at first then lowered his eyes. "Because… I knew you were right. If we didn't get out of the relationship I might have hurt you again… Every night I tore myself up about what I had done and every day I could see that you were trying to find a way out. I couldn't live if I hurt you again…"

Hermione took a deep breath and looked over at a picture on the wall. "You hit me," she whispered.

"Hermione-"

She held up her hand and he stopped himself, watching as she struggled to find the right words to say.

"I… have tried to find every reason for me not to love you anymore," she murmured. Ron's head shot up and he took a step forward but stopped when she took a step back, needing to distance herself from him to do this.

"I told myself that you had hurt me and that you didn't deserve to be loved… but every time I thought that I remembered every time I kissed you. Every time I touched your hand and…" She took a deep breath. "Snogged you just because you were there, but made you leave because I wanted you to hurt… and I knew that we both were trapped. Every time I push you away you end up coming closer… I don't want to push anymore."

Ron was finally able to approach her and took her face in his hands.

"Is this your way of giving me a second chance?" he asked pleadingly.

Hermione bit her lip, gazing into his beautiful blue eyes. "War tore us apart, Ron… if it doesn't work now-"

Ron shook his head and kissed her softly. "I want to be the man I never got to be," he whispered.

Hermione pulled away, eyes closed. This was the only man that could make her cry. Make her hurt. Make her feel like the world was crashing around her yet this was the same man who could make the world disappear, leaving her breathless and alive. This was the man who she hated for what he had done yet would love forever. She reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of his face.

"Did you mean it?" she asked.

"Mean what?" Ron asked.

"Did you mean it… when you told me you loved me?" Ron leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. Hermione leaned into the kiss, her hands resting on his arms as she held him close.

"Every word," he mumbled into her soft lips. His lips traveled down to her jaw, kissing her everywhere except her lips, driving her crazy. Hermione pulled away from Ron slightly.

"I have to talk to Alex tomorrow," she whispered. Ron groaned and moved away from her.

"Mione," he moaned. "Do we have to talk about him now?" Hermione shook her head.

"I'm just saying, Ron. If we're going to make this work, I have to start by not seeing another guy while I'm with you. Alex deserves to know what's going on," she defended.

"Alex can go to hell," Ron muttered darkly, his eyes clouding over.

"Ron! I'm serious," she said. She frowned and looked down at her hands. "Besides… I think we should slow down a little. Seeing as our previous relationship wasn't all that great," she reminded him. A wave of pain filled Ron's eyes for a moment then he nodded and snagged her by the waist, pulling her up to him. He gazed upon her for a moment before pulling her into another kiss. It was short, but it portrayed his need for assurance. Hermione broke the kiss and rested her head against his with her eyes closed, breathing deeply.

"I love you," she whispered before resting her head on his chest. Ron felt his heart constrict painfully and he pulled her closer and held her. Hermione then began to leave gentle kisses up his neck and down his jaw bone. Ron smiled and looked down at her.

"I clearly remember you saying we should slow down," he whispered.

Hermione gave a wane smile and kissed him gently. "I said a little," she corrected.

They both looked up when someone knocked at the door. Hermione looked up at Ron before going over and looking through the peephole. Sighing, she opened.

"Hey, Harry," she said. Harry entered and then stopped upon noticing Ron. He glanced over at Hermione with a smirk as he shed his wet cloak.

"I'm guessing he's not here to hear your apology," he said. Hermione rolled her eyes and stalked past both grinning men. Ron noticed Harry's look and frowned.

"Is it raining?" he asked. Harry nodded.

"It's been raining for a while. Storming, actually," he answered. "Though, I guess you didn't notice, shagging in the hallway," he added.

"Harry James Potter! You know me better than that!" Hermione objected.

Harry smirked. "That's right. You'd go to the bedroom."

Hermione glared at him. "I can't believe you'd even suggest a thing like that. You know very well Ron and I have _never_ slept together and have no plans to any time soon," she hissed, giving Ron a very obvious look. Ron shook his head, pointing at Harry, who was still grinning. Hermione entered her small living room.

"What do you want, Harry?" she asked, sitting back down on the couch in a huff and picking up the book she had been reading. Ron sat down beside her carefully and Harry sat down in one of the chairs by the small fireplace. He took out a letter and handed it to her.

"I was at St. Mungo's to see Ginny. Benguard gave this to me for you," he explained, glancing nervously over at Ron for some reason. Hermione frowned but ignored Harry's nervousness; she read the letter, then closed her eyes.

"We've got two more patients. Both from Hogwarts…" she said, handing the letter to Harry. Reading it, he frowned.

"This is from Dumbledore," he whispered. "He said that they might shut Hogwarts down," he whispered.

Ron snatched the letter from Harry, a look of dread flooding his features as he read. Hermione stood up and going over to the window. She glanced out the window while Harry and Ron began to talk about the attacks and the sudden personal hit they had taken from this new turn of events. She was about to turn back to the conversation when something caught her eye. It was fleeting but she thought she saw… but no… that couldn't be true… why would it be here? There was a flash of lightening and there was no doubt in her mind as to what she saw. Pale blue eyes and glittering dark green skin and then it was gone from sight.

"Hermione… Hermione!"

She turned to see Harry watching her with a very concerned look.

"You look like you've seen a werewolf," he said. Hermione shook herself out of her shock and pointed to the window.

"Not a werewolf. The creature… it was the…"

Suddenly it hit her; like a large wave, it hit her.

**A/N: I'm sorry about the last Author's Note. It was originally meant for this chapter, not that one. I accidentally uploaded the wrong chapter and started writing when I realized. Sorry!**

**I bet you can't guess! I bet you can't guess! I'll give twenty points to whoever gets it right! Thirty points for creativeness and fifty if you're completely wrong but you came up with a good reason for it being right.**

**cellogirl:** I'm sure you have something planned for this summer! Don't die on me!

**kerosinkanister:** I get where you're coming from. I'm personally not into the whole cheating thing, 1, it's wrong and 2, because the plot isn't as good because then you're spending the whole time hating one of the main characters when the author's trying to get them together. I'm not into it. As for the Ron grief center person, I know what you mean, but I find it harder if Ron's the one pushing away and Hermione's the one trying to get back together. Some how the "other man" doesn't seem as bad as the "other woman". I would rather not put Hermione in that type of "scarlet woman" role she was in during fourth year. As for Ron hitting Hermione, I know it seems OOC, but I was hard pressed to find something that showed the dramatic change in the relationship btwn Hr and R as well as how much they had personally changed during the war. I understand if many of my readers were perturbed by this little input, but that's just how I decided to do it. BTW, thanks on the note, I try to use "arse" as much as possible, but sometimes I find myself using "ass".

**LitaFanForLife:** I think they've finally gotten over that hurdle. :-)

**GoodbyeYBR:** I'm glad you enjoy my work and hope you enjoy my other story as well as this one.

**OzDust:** Don't worry about Hanton. As for Hermione, I think she's facing her demons. Ron too.

**charma10:** I heart you just for staying with me for so long. Thank you!

**Wesker888:** Don't worry. I screwed up there. As for updating, you have to update soon or I'll start sending horrible messages to you. It won't be pretty.

**R/R!!!!**


	8. Coming to an Agreement

**A/N: Slight Recap.**

_"You look like you've seen a werewolf," he said. Hermione shook herself out of her shock and pointed to the window. _

_"Not a werewolf. The creature… it was the…" _

_Suddenly it hit her. Like a large wave it hit her. _

"That's it! Werewolf! Harry, you're a genius!" she exclaimed, grabbing Harry and giving him a big kiss.

"Oy!" Ron protested. Hermione pulled away from Harry and gave Ron a big hug.

"He is! That's the reason we can't find him! It's a werewolf!" Hermione said. Ron frowned, releasing himself from Hermione's tight grasp.

"A werewolf, Hermione?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Hermione rolled her eyes as she started going around the room, closing the shades to the windows.

"Well, of course it's not a werewolf, but it's like a werewolf. The creature's real form is human. That's what was happening to Hanton. He was changing because he was exposed," Hermione said. Harry frowned.

"Hermione… if this thing is like a werewolf, then why haven't any of the other patients been changing or trying to change?" he asked. Hermione was about to answer when she stopped. She thought for a second then her eyes grew bright.

"Adults. The foam we found, however, must not be effective on the children and teenagers because of hormones. With changing hormones and such, the acid wasn't able to take full control. With adults, the hormones have settled down, giving the acid easy access to the brain and DNA. It's gotten into Hanton's system."

"Hermione. Not all of the attacks have happened during a full moon," Harry pointed out. Hermione was at a loss there. Ron, however, seemed to have figured it out.

"Water."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Water. Every time an attack has occurred it was either near water or while it was raining. The thing must change due to some sort of water intake or something," he explained. Harry suddenly stood up.

"The greenish tinge of the creature Hermione saw. It wasn't green at all. What Hermione saw was algae, not scales. The creature's probably spent some time in a lake… the lake at Hogwarts! That's why we couldn't find it: it was hiding."

Ron held up his hand.

"I know we're discovering some things right now, but shouldn't we be more worried about who this person is whose changing into some whacko creature?" he suggested. Hermione nodded, frowning.

"But… who could it possibly be…" Once again, it dawned on her. Only this time, it was much worse.

"What? What is it, Hermione?" Ron asked. Hermione looked up at him, her face pale and fearful.

"It's Alex… Alex is the creature…" she whispered. Ron's first reaction was to jump up and say 'I told you so' but he stopped himself. He needed to know before he'd let himself have victory.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"I should have seen the signs. He's been exhausted the past month. He left for a few days. I've noticed things also. Tiny things. A few days ago he showed up here. It didn't take long for me to notice the green stuff on his shoes. I didn't think anything of it. This afternoon. He had sauce on his face…" Suddenly, Hermione turned a sickly color and her hands came up to her stomach.

"That was blood… that was blood on his face," she whispered. Harry grabbed her before she fell, her legs giving out from under her. Ron and Harry helped her to the couch as she closed her eyes.

"I have to get out of this… He was using me! He was using me and I didn't see it! That bastard! I swear I'll have him in Azkaban!" she muttered to herself.

"No."

Everything came to a screeching halt as all eyes went on Ron.

"What?!" Hermione shrieked. Ron took a deep breath.

"Because I think you're using this as a way to get out of the relationship with Alex. I _know_ you need a reason to get out. Besides, we have no real proof that it's actually him," he explained. Hermione's eyes grew big and she shook her head.

"No… a few minutes ago you still wanted me to drop him, please Ron… I can't keep something like that… He could kill me!"

Ron cupped her face, trying to calm her.

"Listen to me, Mione. Harry and I aren't going to let that happen, ok… you know we'd never let anything happen to you. I think you're just using him as a clear way to get out of this. There's no real proof," he whispered. Hermione closed her eyes, shaking her head. Ron pulled her to him, kissing her gently, comforting her. Hermione took his face in her hands, just holding him there.

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid," she whispered. Ron touched her face and smiled.

"I promise," he murmured. Hermione nodded and turned to Harry. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She reached out and took Ron's hand and just sat there, holding both of them.

"Promise me you'll be there when it's all over… both of you," she whispered. Ron squeezed her hand as Harry repositioned himself slightly on the couch.

"As long as you promise to be there as well," Harry whispered. Hermione nodded and the two men then nodded as well. Hermione pulled away from Harry, gave him a small peck on the cheek then turned to Ron. She offered him a small smile and a kiss on the nose before getting up and walking out of the living room and down the hall. They waited until they heard the faint click of her door closing, then turned to each other. Ron gave Harry a look before getting up and going to the door. Harry sighed and picked up Crookshanks, who had been slinking around ever since Hermione had become distraught. Harry watched as Ron left, then sat back in the couch. He was on guard for tonight.

* * *

Ron entered the Auror Department and looked around.

"Oy, Cunningham!" he called. The man stopped what he was doing and looked up.

"What?" he snapped.

"Where's Moody?" Ron asked.

Cunningham shrugged, pointing down the small hall. "He's in his office." Ron took off down the hall before the man could finish. "Wait! Weasley! He's in a meeting!" he called after Ron, but it was too late. Ron opened the door and stepped in then froze upon seeing Dumbledore sitting at one of the seats.

"Weasley!" Moody barked. "What's the idea?"

Ron hesitated for a moment then cleared his throat and stood up straighter. "It's about those attacks, sir," he said.

Moody looked him over for a minute then pointed to a seat at the desk beside Dumbledore.

"Sit down," he ordered.

Ron did as he was told and waited until Moody had shifted through some papers. While he was waiting, Dumbledore turned to him, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-mooned spectacles.

"How is Hermione?" he asked.

"She's… tired," Ron answered.

Dumbledore smiled, giving him a knowing look before turning to Moody who had just stopped fiddling around.

"Well, Weasley. This better be good," he growled.

Ron sat up in his chair and coughed. "Hermione thinks… and I do as well… she thinks that Alexander Benguard is the creature attacking those people," he said.

Moody frowned. "How could Benguard's son be the creature?" he asked.

"Hermione has reason to believe that the creature has werewolf-like qualities. It's a fair guess, seeing as how we haven't been able to actually _find_ the thing," Ron explained.

"That would put Hermione in great danger," Dumbledore whisperedc3 .

"Well, seeing as he hasn't harmed her yet, there's no reason to believe that he's after her now… that is to say that this theory of Granger's is correct," Moody growled out, writing something down.

"You're not going to do anything?" Ron asked.

"There's nothing I can do without hardcore proof. Until then I'll have some guys keep a close eye on him. All I can say is that Granger better get herself out of that situation fast," Moody answered.

Dumbledore had been watching Ron since the beginning and could read him clearly.

"It is not that simple is it, Ron?" he asked, obtaining Ron's attention.

Ron met his former headmaster's gaze and held it for a moment before nodding. "Apparently Alex has been visiting Hermione's flat. Spying on her. She pulls out of that relationship, he could do something. I'm not about to risk that," Ron replied intensely.

Moody sighed and nodded. "I'm going to have to agree with you… I suggest you and Potter stick around her round the clock. Check in on her. Until then, I want a report on what she knows."

"I suggest a search of Hogwarts' lake, sir," Ron added.

Dumbledore immediately turned to him. "The lake?"

Ron nodded. "Harry figures that if this thing's been hiding, what better place to hide during the night than at the lake," he answered.

Moody stood and handed Ron two letters. "I want you to get those to Kingsley. I don't want any of this getting out to the public. I'm putting you and Potter in charge of this case. Anything goes wrong from here on in I'll have both your arses," he growled.

Ron nodded and left. Dumbledore turned to Moody and smiled.

"Ron's finally growing up."

**A/N: Yes, he is! I hope people enjoyed it. Damn, you people left me some long reviews.**

**FallenAngelGirl:** I didn't do a cliffhanger this time! I didn't!

**vintageviolet:** I am too!

**charma10:** 50 points even if it was completely wrong, though I enjoyed the read. Haha, Fang!

**ronandmion4ever:** YOU ARE AMAZING! THIRTY POINTS! You were so incredibly close that it wasn't even funny! As for being cheesy and cliche, I resent that remark. You should be impressed. I hope you had a happy birthday!

**kerosinkanister:** Like I said, I don't do cheating stories. And when I do a story when Ron and Hermione had a falling out earlier, I don't show that falling out and I'd prefer not to delve into the falling out. I give hints as to why or in this story I gave you a main reason and when they broke up, but I would prefer not to. Some how I feel it takes away, even though I did it with this story. I wasn't actually planning to put that part in the story, where Hermione comes back to her office and starts arguing with herself about Ron. I was going to leave that to the readers imagination. As for Ron and Hermione's relationship now, you'll just have to see what happens. I can be _very_ unpredictable. Up to the point where my unpredictability is predictable.

(I feel like I've said this before)

:-(

**GoodbyeYBR:** Creative. Thirty points. To be honest, that's exactly what I was going to do with Haunted. For chapter 13, I was going to have her wake up and think that it all happened when none of it actually did.

Oh well!

**OzDust:** Fifty points, for being wrong but making me laugh! I loved that part too!

**Wesker888:** It better be, because I am perfectly capable of doing the same things I've done to my characters in my stories. (Which isn't too good for you)

;-)

**LitaFanForLife:** Glad you love it!

**Avanell:** Yes, I am. What are you going to do about it?

Hmmm?

:-)

**Chapter Tease: (Because I am _that_ good)**

_Ginny paused and took a deep breath. "Harry and I are married…"_


	9. Awakening

**A/N: Shit happens.**

Ginny woke to the flashing of lightening outside her window. She groaned. It had been raining all week and now it was still raining. Sighing, she got out of bed and began to shuffle around, occasionally stopping in front of the mirror and touching her stomach before giggling and going about her business. She wasn't exactly eager in lying to her parents tonight, but she knew if they found out about the elopement then there'd be more disappointment in that.

Ginny walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, looking through a cabinet at the side for some shampoo. Waiting until the small room had filled up with steam, she got undressed and stepped in, letting the water run over her as she reached for the shampoo.

That's when she heard a small thud. Frowning she opened the small screen for the shower and looked out, listening. When she heard nothing she guessed it was just Winifred, her owl. Rolling her eyes she returned to the shower.

Something grabbed her arm and she almost screamed when a hand came over her mouth. She started struggling as she was dragged out of the shower. The person let her go and she whirled around.

"_Harry_!" she gasped, grabbing a towel. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" she growled angrily.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm here for my health," he said sarcastically. He was about to say something else when another thud sounded, only this time it was much closer. Ginny's eyes grew.

"What was that?" she asked.

Harry pulled her to him, away from the door. "It's out there," he whispered.

Ginny paled. "You mean… that thing that attacked me?" she asked.

Harry nodded, holding her as she began to shake. There was another thud then they heard footsteps. Ginny clung to Harry in fear, her wet body shaking in his arms. He held her close, listening until he was certain the thing was not there any more. He shook Ginny a little.

"Come on," he whispered. Seeing as they were in a muggle flat, the only apparition point was the front door. They'd have to make a break for it. He looked down at her. "When we get out of here, I want you to run to the door, okay? I'll be right behind you," he whispered. She nodded. Harry counted to three then opened the door, peeking out. There was nothing in her bedroom so he motioned for her to follow. Harry took out his wand and they headed out to the hall way. They were about to head to the front door when something screeched. Ginny and Harry turned to see the creature's head poking out from the extra bedroom Ginny had. Ginny's eyes grew and she screamed. The creature screeched again and came out of the room, rolling its shoulders and hunching down. Harry turned to Ginny and shoved her to the exit.

"GO!" he yelled right as the creature launched itself into the air. Ginny managed to stumble out of the way but the thing caught Harry in the leg. Ginny turned to see the thing dragging him down the hall.

"HARRY!" she screamed.

Harry was twisting around, getting a good angle before he screamed something. The creature screamed in pain and backed off for a moment. Harry got up, wincing in pain and started running over to her.

"Ginny go!" he screamed as he tried to keep going. They had just made it to the living room/dining room part of her apartment when Ginny turned around.

"Harry, look out!" she screamed pointing behind him. The thing lunged forward and wrapped its tail around Harry's legs, pulling him back into the hall way and quickly into the other bedroom.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed, getting up off the floor and running after the thing. She could hear agonized screams then silence. Ginny skidded to a stop, her heart stopping. The creature appeared out of the bedroom and turned its pale blind eyes on her. Ginny began to back up as the thing headed for her. She let out a scream for help and dove into a little closet in the hall. She slammed the door and held onto it as the creature started scratching the door, screaming and howling something awful. Ginny could feel the tears poring down her face as she struggled to keep the door closed. It was starting to give though, her hands to wet to hold on.

All of a sudden, it stopped.

"Ginny!"

"Charlie!" Ginny screamed.

"Don't worry, I'm here," he said, opening the door.

Ginny scrambled to her feet and grabbed him, sobbing. He held her, looking around.

"What happened?" he asked.

Ginny was about to answer when she remembered. "Harry!" she screamed running off down the small hall and scrambling into the small room.

"HARRY!"

* * *

Hermione found herself in her office, sitting on the floor, leaning against her door. Tears were running down her face as she struggled to keep it together.

Everything had changed the moment she had walked into that emergency room.

The stakes had been raised.

The threat heightened.

She had broken down on the spot the moment she saw Harry lying there, barely hanging onto life. The creature must have flogged him. There four large jagged gashes down his back and two across his chest. His legs… oh his legs… they had been shredded so much.

He had promised her. He had promised her he wouldn't do anything dangerous. And now… he was down stairs…

Ginny had been in the waiting room, covered in Harry's blood, sobbing uncontrollably.

Hermione knew Benguard would need her to check the wounds… to be strong…

But seeing Harry had brought new terrors… new nightmares that haunted her in her waking moments.

Alex had gone too far.

They were currently searching for him, ready to make an arrest and send him to Azkaban to await trial.

"Hermione."

She looked up at Ron's voice and wiped the tears away, standing up.

"Wait," she whispered, looking around for her healer robes. Shrugging them on, she opened the door.

Ron frowned and pulled her into a hug, smoothing her hair out and resting his chin on the crown of her head. "Benguard needs you," he whispered.

Hermione shook her head, burying her head in his chest. "Not now," she begged. "Hold me," she whispered.

Ron complied, holding her closer. "He's going to be ok, right?"

Hermione looked up at him, wiping her tears away. "I think so… none of the attacks, though they look really bad, have actually been fatal," she murmured, picking distractedly at Ron's shirt.

Ron reached up and tucked a curl behind her head before pulling her head back to his chest, holding her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, eyes wandering the empty hall.

"Promise me you won't do what he did," she whispered.

"Hermione," Ron whispered.

"Promise me… please," she pleaded, looking up at him with teary eyes. "I don't want to go through what Ginny's going through… please don't make me," she whispered.

Ron looked down at her for a moment then pulled away, leaning against the corridor wall, shaking his head. "I can't promise you that… because I know when it comes down to the moment, I won't be able to keep that promise," he told her quietly.

Hermione stared at him for a moment then looked away, not knowing what to say. She knew he was right, but that didn't make it ok. She didn't want to see him in the emergency room ever, but she knew he'd do something to land himself in there. She closed her eyes and backed up into the opposite wall, wrapping her arms around herself. She was about to say something when Rachel came running down the hall.

"Hermione! Hermione! We have a problem," she said.

Hermione looked at her and frowned. "What is it?" she asked, standing straighter.

"Harry and Hanton are missing. So is Ginny," she said breathlessly.

Ron went over to her. "What?!"

Rachel looked at them both. "Benguard went to check on Hanton and found him missing. When we went to Harry, he was gone as well. Ginny went missing around the same time Hanton did. And the Aurors still can't find Alex," she explained, distraught.

Hermione glanced over at Ron then took Rachel's arm and hurried down the hall. "You go find Benguard and tell him to meet me in Room 245," she ordered before giving Rachel a push in the right direction. She then turned to Ron.

"We need to find Ginny… she's in serious trouble," she said.

"Why is Alex looking for her?" Ron asked, following Hermione back to her room.

"She's pregnant," she said as she gathered her cloak.

"So?"

Hermione turned to him. "With Harry Potter's child."

**A/N: Dun, dun, dun.**

**ronandmion4ever:** I did enjoy your little PotC thing. As for Alex, as you can see, things are getting a lot better. Anyway, I needed to show Ron taking charge of what was going on. I think I did quite well, if I do say so myself.

**cellogirl:** Not exactly _Hermione_, but I think you got the point.

**kerosinkanister:** I was actually agreeing with you, so there's no reason so apologize. I hope your load lessens as the summer kicks off!

**maddie:** Thank you. I'm glad you like it.

**LitaFanForLife:** Thanks.

**OzDust:** I'm glad everyone's enjoying this new Ron, because he's usually portrayed as immature until the end of HBP. I really just wanted him to grow up in a wonderful way. I'm not so sure it's Hermione he wants.

**charma10:** That would actually be sort of cool but that's not me. When is anything ever simple?

**Wesker888:** They did the right thing for the sake of love making.

**Chapter Tease:**

_"I wouldn't move if I were you."_

_She turned to see a woman standing there at the side, a man near by holding an umbrella for her. Ginny tried to see who it was then gasped._

_"Oh no," she murmured._

**Let's see who can guess who it is. Same point system as last time. Just no explanations. One word answers, please!**


	10. Lost Cause

**A/N: I'm making up for lost time.**

_Hypocrisy, the lie, is the true sister of evil, intolerance, and cruelty._ **Raisa Gorbachev**

Ginny knocked on the large door, pulling the cloak tighter around her as it continued to rain.

"Who is it?" came the gruff voice.

"It's Ginny! I'm looking for Neville," she called.

Hagrid opened the door. "Ginny! Come inside! You'll catch your death out there," he said, stepping to the side.

Ginny shook her head. "No, I can't. Please, it's important! Where's Neville?" she asked.

Hagrid frowned and pointed to the woods. "He's in the forest. Said something about a flower only coming out during a storm," he explained.

Ginny thanked him and headed off.

"Ginny wait," he called. He whistled and the big dog came bounding out of the hut. "Take Fang with you. Can't let you go in there by yourself," he said.

Ginny smiled and patted the dog's head before heading off into the woods. She needed to find Neville. He was the only one who knew what plants could help Harry.

"Come on, Fang," she whispered when it whimpered. "Neville!" she yelled over the thunder and howling wind. She looked around, wondering why some flower would want to come out during this type of weather. She was about to go further when something snapped behind her. She whirled around, waving her wand in the direction of the noise. When she heard nothing, she frowned and continued on her way.

"Neville!" she called again, trying to see through the rain as it continued to pour. She found herself wandering into a small clearing, though it seemed that it was close to the lake seeing as the water was pooling around her ankles. Fang started whining again, leaning against her. She kneeled down beside the big dog and stroked him comfortingly.

"It's ok," she whispered. The dog continued to moan as the woods around her lit up momentarily. Knowing that she was getting no where she was about to set off red sparks when something stopped her. Fang started growling at something in the woods. She lowered her wand and squinted through the rain, trying to see what was bothering the dog.

"Hello?" she whispered. Then she saw it. Creeping out slowly, pale blue eyes on her, the creature appeared. Its mouth was slackened slightly as it stared at her. For some reason though it didn't attack her. It stayed where it was. Ginny started backing up when something else stopped her.

"I wouldn't move if I were you."

She turned to see a woman standing there at the side, a man near by holding an umbrella for her. Ginny tried to see who it was then gasped.

"Oh no," she murmured.

* * *

Hermione looked around Ginny's apartment, searching for clues.

"Why would she just leave?" she asked out loud.

Ron stepped out of Ginny's bedroom, shrugging. "Who knows? All we do know is that if we don't find her soon…" he left the rest hanging in the air.

Hermione looked up at him when he stepped over to her and stood up. "Did you mean what you said in the hall?" she asked abruptly.

Taken off guard, it took Ron a moment to process what she had asked. He then shoved his fist in his pockets and looked around. "This _really_ isn't the time to be talking about what _I_ said earlier," he pointed out.

Hermione puffed up and glared at him. "I am _not_ going to let you do something stupid!" she hissed.

Ron rolled his eyes and started for the front door. "Well, you should have thought about that before you said yes to that date in seventh year," he said over his shoulder.

Hermione's eyes grew and then narrowed. She stalked over to him and grabbed his arm, turning him around. "Look! I know you're not the best listener, but you better listen to me. If I catch you doing something like Harry I swear I will kill you myself," she growled.

Ron shrugged her off and kept on walking. "That's if I don't get myself killed in the process," he muttered.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked, not catching his last statement.

Ron rolled his eyes and stood at the front door. "Are you coming?" he asked.

Hermione shot him a dirty look before stepping up next to him and holding onto him as he disapparated.

* * *

"That's not possible…" Ginny whispered.

The woman rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hips. "Women can be bad guys also," she said.

"But… Hermione…" Ginny murmured.

Rachel Conway smiled. "Hermione trusted me to much," she said simply, walking towards Ginny.

Ginny glanced over at the creature who was moving closer. Rachel caught the look and grinned. "He's incredible isn't he? A breed I created myself. Hermione was right about the whole South America thing, though she never put two and two together. I had transferred from Chile to here. I brought samples of blood of different reptilian species and was able to mix it with one other magical creature from here as well as one idiot desperate to get close to his old girlfriend. I created this… I don't know what to call it… but maybe you could help me," she said.

"What do you want with me?" Ginny asked shakily. The rain was starting to seep into her cloak and through her clothes.

"You're pregnant… with Harry Potter's child… do you know how valuable that baby is on the black market?" she asked.

Ginny's eyes bulged and she started to back up. "That couldn't be what the creature was used for. I never got pregnant until a few days ago. That thing's been terrorizing people for months," Ginny said, frowning.

Rachel raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Well, at first I was just going to use it as a revival of Death Eaters. I think we've been silent for too long," she growled.

"No… you can't keep me hostage," she growled.

"Of course I can. I've got two of those creatures now. You're husband seems to be MIA," Rachel said, pointing to the area behind Ginny.

Ginny turned around to see another creature lying in wait for orders. "Hanton…" she whispered. But… where was Harry? Rachel obviously didn't know where he was…

"Now, Ginny. We can do this the hard way, or the easy way. I'm suggesting you choose the latter," she said over the noise of the thunder.

* * *

"Ron… what are we doing here?" Fred asked, pulling his hood up as they entered the empty grounds of Hogwarts.

Ron headed for Hagrid's hut. "Hagrid sent me an owl. Says he saw Ginny," he answered.

His other brothers and Hermione huddled close together as Ron was about to knock on the door.

"Hey, Ron!"

They all turned around to see Neville Longbottom walking over to them.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

Hermione went over to him, giving him a quick hug. "Hey Neville. You wouldn't happen to have seen Ginny?" she asked urgently.

Neville frowned. "Ginny… I haven't seen her…" then he froze and turned to the woods. "That's what I heard. I thought I was just hearing things. Someone was calling my name in the forest," he told them.

Immediately Ron took off with the others, plowing their way into the forest.

"We have to hurry," Ron whispered.

"RON!"

They all turned to see Percy pointing to something in the distance. They stopped to see a faint light. "I bet that's her," he said.

Bill nodded and started off in that direction, followed by the twins and Hermione. The other took up the back. When they crept up to the clearing Hermione gasped.

"Look," she whispered pointing. They could see Ginny standing in the middle, shivering with what looked to be Fang. There was a woman and a man standing close by, but Hermione couldn't identify them.

"What's going on?" George asked.

"They've got her trapped," Bill whispered, pointing to something in the far corner of the clearing. They all squinted and could see the outline of what looked to be a large animal.

"It's that creature," Hermione whispered.

"There's another one," Charlie whispered, pointing to the other corner, behind Ginny. They all leaned in and saw this one clearly when lightening flashed.

"We have to do something quick," Ron whispered. "Ginny doesn't look to good out there," he said.

Fred and George turned to Ron. "What are you talking about? Ginny's a Weasley," George said.

"She always looks good," Fred finished. Everyone gave a few nervous chuckles, glad that Fred and George were there to help calm down their jitters in this very dangerous situation.

Bill was about to get up when something snapped behind them and they all turned around to see about a dozen guys standing there, wands at the ready.

"Oh crap," Charlie muttered before, standing. "_Reducto!_" he screamed, blasting someone back. Suddenly curses were flying, lighting up the woods with multiple lights and sparks.

* * *

Rachel turned to the commotion, glowering. "What's going on?" she demanded.

The man next to her shrugged. "Trespassers, madam," he suggested.

Rachel growled and started for the commotion. "Keep an eye on her," she ordered. About ten other men came out of the darkness, backing up her right hand man. The creatures began to circle around.

Ginny watched Rachel stalk off, her heart racing as she struggled to keep from sinking into the mud that had now formed do to the heavy rainfall. She could feel the water seeping through her sneakers as she tried to brush her wet hair out of her eyes.

* * *

"Ron!" Hermione called, ducking out of the way as a man whizzed by.

"What?" he said, slightly preoccupied at the moment.

"I'm going to get Ginny!" she said.

Ron nodded, ducking and punching a man in the stomach while shooting a curse at someone else. Hermione hesitated for a moment then took off for the clearing, scrambling through the mud and bushes to get to her friend.

"Not so fast," someone growled, placing a wand at Hermione's neck. "I always knew you were trouble."

Hermione recognized the voice. "Rachel?" she gasped, turning to see her assailant.

Rachel gave her a cold smirk. "The one and only. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get this over with so I can go back to your little slut of a friend," she said, motioning for Hermione to keep walking towards Ginny.

"Hermione!" Ginny screamed through the rain.

Hermione held up her hands, giving a small wave before being poked in the back and stumbling over to Ginny, grabbing hold of her and pulling her into a hug.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

Ginny nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little wet," she said.

Hermione snorted and looked around, her eyes following the creatures' movements. "Where's Harry?"

Ginny shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't even know he was missing until Rachel told me," she whispered.

"SHUT UP!" Rachel screamed.

Moving rapidly through the trees and over the bushes a third creature appeared, screeching loudly. Rachel turned to it and glared at it.

"There he is…" she whispered.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed, starting to move. That's when it happened. The other two creatures lunged for her. The third one lunged also, grabbing one of the creatures by the neck and wrapping its tail around the other creature jerking them out of the way. The third creature backed up so that it was standing directly in front of Ginny and Hermione.

"NO!" Rachel screamed. "ATTACK!" she ordered. The men pulled out their wands and started firing as the creatures met in a horrific clash; claw, tooth and tail all being used to kill the other. Ginny pulled out her own wand and started firing with Hermione.

* * *

"Ron! Look!" Bill screamed, pointing to the clearing. Hermione and Ginny were struggling against the approaching men while the creatures fought. Ron glanced at Bill then took off for the clearing, wand at the ready.

"_Bombarda!_" he yelled. Four men were blasted into different directions, screaming in pain.

"Get them, I'll take care of these freaks," Bill ordered.

Ron nodded and started to scramble over to Hermione and Ginny who were struggling to keep up the stamina under the extreme onslaught of the men. All of the sudden, something exploded in his face, making him fall back. Rachel appeared, waggling her finger.

"I don't think so…" she said.

"What do you want?" Ron growled, standing to his feet.

Rachel flipped her hair over her shoulder and cocked her head to the side. "I want that baby. Voldemort may not have been a good leader, but I'm _positive_ that the son of the Boy Who Lived can, when trained properly," she said advancing with the skill of a trained dueler.

Ron stood up straighter, taking up his position against her. "That won't be happening tonight," he growled.

Rachel smiled. "Oh… I think it will… _Avada Kerdava!_" she hissed.

Ron dove out of the way, spun around and shot off a silent curse which she dodged.

"My, my… Weasley's been practicing," Rachel commented silkily, before shooting a nonverbal of her own.

* * *

Hermione saw what was happening over at the side with Rachel and Ron but she knew she couldn't do anything. She ducked when a green light came her way and sent back a particularly nasty curse she had picked up during the Last War.

"We can't hold them off for long," Ginny cried, pulling Fang back to her when he tried to join run off. "Stay here," she growled, holding him close. Her eyes went back to the creature battle going on in front of them as well. By now it was easy to tell who Harry was and who the other ones were. They were ganging up on Harry. Blood and rainwater mixed as lightning illuminated the clearing. One creature lunged for Ginny but the other, Harry, grabbed its hind leg and yanked back, causing the thing to scream in agony. The third one reared back dug its claws into Harry's back making him scream.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed.

The first creature, the one Harry had dragged back, turned away from its leg and towards the noise Ginny had just made. The thing began to make its way over to them, ignoring the pain of the second creature chewing on its ankle. The two women began to back up, their hands sinking into the mud as the rain continued to pour down on them. Hermione looked around and spotted a way out. She grabbed Ginny's arm.

"Ginny, go," she whispered, indicating the clear way.

Ginny's eyes got wide then she shook her head, turning to Hermione. "No! I can't leave you!" Fang however, seemed to take the hint and sprinted off, howling at the top of his lungs.

Hermione shoved her towards it. "GO! They want you, not me! This is your only chance!"

There was a large explosion. For one brief moment the area was lit up and then they were plunged into a watery darkness. The water level was rising and small waves were crashing down over two shivering women near the edge. Hermione grabbed Ginny and pulled her towards the woods, moving towards the lake.

Rachel noticed them go and her eyes got wide. "NO!" She turned to her men. "Get them! Get them, now! I cannot lose that baby!" she screeched, her wild eyes and bared teeth encouraging them on. She ducked in time to avoid a particularly green curse. She whirled around and smiled.

"Nice try, Weasley," she growled.

Ron returned to gesture, flicking her off before sending off the same fatal curse.

"Come on, Ginny! Just a little further," Hermione urged, helping Ginny along. Ginny's foot had gotten caught in a root they had obviously not seen and she had twisted it, making her much slower in their already bad situation. Hermione could see Hogwarts at a distance and knew that they could probably make it as long as they went a little faster.

"I'm trying," Ginny gritted out.

"Just a little-"

They both went underwater, not realizing they had found the lake. Hermione swam to the surface and looked around for Ginny.

"Over here!" Ginny called, swimming over to Hermione. She went under again when the waves crashed over them, then appeared again, coughing up water. Hermione was doing the same thing as she looked around, trying to locate the old castle.

Hermione pointed to it. "There! Just a little further!" she told Ginny.

"Um… Hermione! We've got company!" Ginny screamed over the thunder.

Hermione turned to where Ginny was looking and her insides dropped even further. Two creatures were at the edge of the lake where they had fallen and watching Hermione and Ginny with an eager glint in their pale eyes. They then dove into the water and Ginny and Hermione began to swim for their lives, their hearts pounding in their ears as they desperately tried to move against the wind and waves that crashed over them.

"Ginny!" Hermione screamed before being pulled under. The creature had grabbed her pant leg and was dragging her further under.

Ginny looked around frantically for the other one before being pulled under herself. Fighting to get back to the surface, Ginny struggled as her lungs began to burn. Suddenly she was released and she swam to the surface, gasping for air and looking around.

"Hermione!" she screamed, trying to keep above the waves as they crashed around her. The sky lit up for one moment and Ginny saw something swimming towards her. Things went dark and she could not see a thing. Then lightning struck again and Ginny saw it leap out of the water, diving straight for her. Then she saw something else hurdle out of the water and ram into the creature coming for her, slamming it into the rough waters and out of sight.

"Ginny!"

She turned around to see Hermione further ahead, motioning for her to come. Ginny began to swim, her leg aching. They finally made it to the other end and dragged themselves out of the water, collapsing onto the bank, coughing up water and trying to breathe. Hermione looked out onto the water and could see flashes of light coming from the fight still going on over on the other side of the lake. Hermione turned her head and looked over to where Hogwarts was and could see several little lights appearing from the castle and coming towards the make. She shook Ginny and pulled her up.

"Come on," she whispered.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed, pulling out of Hermione's grip and hobbling over to the lakeside where Harry was dragging himself out of the water. He looked up and his shoulders sagged as Ginny grabbed him into a fierce hug which he returned wholeheartedly. Harry looked up at Hermione, his eyes expressing his exhaustion.

"You ok, Hermione?" he asked weakly.

Shivering, Hermione nodded, looking around cautiously. Ginny pulled away from Harry and began to pull him towards Hogwarts.

"Come on! We have to get you out of here," she said.

There was a screeching sound and they all turned to see someone running out of the woods, firing curses behind him as he ran. The man dived into the water and began to swim towards the other shore. A creature appeared out of woods and dove in after the man, tearing across the water like a jet.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed, running to the lake.

Harry stopped her and pushed her towards Hogwarts. "I'll get him," he told them before running to the water's edge and jumping in; disappearing within seconds.

"Harry!"

There was a moment when they could see the splashing and thrashing of the creatures on the surface, but then everything disappeared, leaving the waves to crash and moan peacefully. Hermione began to pull on Ginny's arm, backing away from the lake slowly as she watched it in fear.

"Where is he? Where is he?" Ginny whispered continuously.

"Look!"

**A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've been a bit busy with somethings.**

**mightyduck22:** Thank you. I hope you enjoyed this one.

**ronandmion4ever:** Don't worry. I was guessing that most people would say Bellatrix. As for not sounding right because of the morning, don't worry. You should hear me in the morning. Well, actually, I don't talk much in the morning, so you can't really hear me. :-)

**Wesker888:** All of those answers would have been perfectly reasonable had I not said that the person was a _woman_. :-) It's ok, I won't put it on you.

**kerosinkanister:** Oh no, I'm sorry! It wasn't Ron I was talking about when I said that. It was Alex. I meant I didn't think that it was Hermione, Alex wanted. Sorry. I think your right. I think most authors have Ron stuck in this teenage stage and haven't had him grow up at least a little. He can still be the act first, think later sort of guy, but not all the time. Ron has grown up, especially if you right him after the war. War changes people. That doesn't mean I don't like "kill them first then ask questions later" sort of Ron. He's great for certian occasions, usually when it comes to Hermione. But I think he should grow up a little.

Just thought I'd share what was on my mind.

**GoodbyeYBR:** Because they were both hormonal driven at that moment in time. The only real reason I wanted them to get married is because I really don't endorse sex before marraige even though I think one of my stories actually has that. I think i just wanted a baby, but just wanted them to have the baby the proper way, so I got them married. (shrugs) There's no real explanation.

**younggem:** I try to do most of my stories Post-Voldemort, because I think that killing him should be left up to JKR. I just like to write aftermath pieces.

**mstl:** Wow, I actually don't speak French, but I think I understood what you said without a translator, and thank you. I enjoy their relationship as well.

**OzDust:** You know, I'm actually so surprised that almost everyone is commenting on Ron's maturity. That last scene wasn't meant to promote that, but it's interesting to see how people are so clued in to the emotional status of every character. I love that! Thank you!

**Chapter Tease: This is purely made up. I don't have this written down yet.**

_"The itsy, bitsy spider, went up the water spout. Down came the rain, and washed the spider out. Out came the creature, and tortured the little spider, and the itsy bitsy spider, never saw the light again..."_

_Ginny burried her face in his chest, her whole body shaking as the footsteps grew closer. Harry held her close, hearing her heart beat and feeling her blood course through her body at top speed. Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate on the matter at hand, but the taste of blood lured him into the trap that caused him to change again. The lusting for death began to consume him as the footsteps drew closer, bringing with them, the promise of blood..._


	11. Hide and Seek

**A/N: Finally. **

Ginny turned to where Hermione had pointed and gasped. Ron was running as fast as he could out of the water.

"GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" he screamed, grabbing both of them.

"What about Harry?" Ginny cried, eyes on the water.

Ron glanced back at the water quickly before shaking his head and pulling them towards the castle. They could now see the forms of teachers rushing over to them from Hogwarts. Ron was about to call for help when Hermione started screaming, pointing at the water. It was hard to tell what it was, but it was ghastly as it crawled out of the water. Behind it there were two large moving humps in the water that were quickly closing in on the shore. Ron's eyes got large and he shoved the two women towards the teachers.

"Run!" He screamed before running himself. "RUN!"

"HARRY!" Ginny screamed as Ron pulled her towards the castle. "HARRY!"

The thing that had pulled itself out of the water looked up upon hearing the name and then behind it before it too started to run towards the castle. By the time they had gotten to the doors, the two masses in the water had become two angry creatures charging flat out towards them. The thing that had responded to Ginny's call had turned out to be Harry, who was lagging behind, but close to the doors which were now starting to close.

"HARRY! RUN!" Ginny continued to scream as the doors began to close.

"Oh my God," Hermione gasped, starting to back up.

"What is going on?" Professor McGonagall demanded, eyes on Harry as he tried to make it.

"He's going to make it…" Hermione whispered, still backing up.

Professor Flitwick frowned.

"What?"

Hermione pointed to the stairs.

"We have to get out of here!" she yelled.

"Why?!" Ron asked.

Hermione met his gaze and pointed to the door.

"Harry's not the only one who's going to make it through that door," she said.

"HARRY!" Ginny screamed just as the two creatures launched themselves at him. The three went tumbling and barely slipped through the doors. Suddenly everyone was scrambling up the stairs, screaming and going off to warn students. Ginny watched in horror as Harry struggled against the two ravenous creatures, which tore at his clothes and skin.

"Ginny, get out of here!" he screamed. "GO!"

"GINNY!" Ron shouted, starting back down the stairs when he realized his sister had not followed him.

"HARRY!"

"ARGH!" Harry cried out in pain and there was a quick movement, a snap, and a whining howl. Suddenly Harry shot up and ran over to the stairs, grabbing Ginny and charging up the stairs.

"GO!"

* * *

Rachel appeared from the woods and looked up at the castle in anger. She pointed to the door.

"I WANT THAT BABY!" she screeched.

* * *

Hermione and Ron ran into one of the classrooms and slammed the door behind them. Ron leaned against the door as something crashed into it, howling something dreadful as it scratched and tore at the oak barrier.

Hermione turned to Ron and gasped. Since the light had gotten better, she could now see the tears in Ron's clothing and the gashes that bloodied his clothes and skin.

"Ron," she whispered, moving up closer and reaching out to remove the cloth from the wounds. "You're hurt…" He grabbed her hand, preventing her from touching his wounds and suddenly her heart stopped and she stopped breathing. "Oh Ron…"

He met her frightened gaze and she knew what had happened.

"Ron…"

"Hermione-" Suddenly an electrifying pain shot up his back. He doubled over, clutching his stomach as the pain intensified.

"Ron…" Hermione whispered, backing up as he let out a cry of pain. "Ron, please…"

The door continued to shake as Ron fell to the ground, panting in pain as his skin began to stretch agonizingly. Hermione could feel tears come to her eyes as she continued to back up, begging Ron to answer her while the door began to creak under the onslaught from the other side.

"Hermione," he moaned.

"Ron, please… the door," she told him, taking out her wand as she finally made it to the back of the classroom. "Ron, please…"

He looked up at her and she felt fear consume her heart. His face was growing a greenish color as his eyes narrowed.

"I'm sorry," he moaned before letting out another cry of pain.

"Ron…" She glanced behind her and could see the storm raging on, lightening cracking and illuminating the dim classroom.

"ARR!"

"RON!"

_CREEEEAAAACCK!_

The large oak door was ripped from its hinges and dragged back into the corridor where the monstrous creature glared into the room, straight at her.

Hermione covered her ears when the thing let out a screeching howl.

She looked up just in time to see a large scaly claw plummet towards her face.

* * *

Harry shoved Ginny behind a tapestry and scrambled in after her, pulling her to him and leaning his back against the wall. He heard the creature charge past the tapestry, in search of them.

"Harry-"

"Shh!" he hissed, hearing someone else approach at a much more patient pace.

"The itsy, bitsy spider, went up the water spout. Down came the rain, and washed the spider out. Out came the creature, and tortured the little spider, and the itsy bitsy spider, never saw the light again..."

Ginny buried her face in his chest, her whole body shaking as the footsteps grew closer. Harry held her close, hearing her heart beat and feeling her blood course through her body at top speed. Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate on the matter at hand, but the taste of blood lured him into the trap that caused him to change again. The lusting for death began to consume him as the footsteps drew closer, bringing with them the promise of blood...

"Ginny," he whispered urgently. "Can you make it to Dumbledore's office?"

He felt Ginny freeze as she looked up at him in horror.

"What?"

He glanced out from the tapestry and then looked back down at her.

"Can you make it?" he asked again.

"Harry, no… please don't," she pleaded, looking down at his chest. "You're hurt. You can't."

Harry took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes, his own eyes blazing.

"You need to get out of here, Ginny. It's not safe," he hissed.

Ginny shook her head.

"I'm not going to lose you, Harry. I can't lose you," she whispered.

"_Harry_," someone called. "Oh _Harry!_ I want that child."

Harry felt a low growl rise up in his throat and Ginny whimpered, moving close to him as the footsteps finally stopped.

"Come out Harry! I just want to play. Obey your master and come out to play," the person said.

"Ginny, go," Harry growled, glancing out.

"No."

"GO!"

He shoved her out from behind the tapestry, following her and facing Rachel, who smiled upon seeing Ginny stumble out.

"Oh, so we're playing fetch?" she asked playfully, cocking to her head to the side girlishly.

Harry could sense Ginny's hesitation and he stepped back towards her, not taking his eyes off of Rachel.

"Ginny, go," he hissed.

"Harry, please," she begged, not wanting to leave him behind.

Rachel shook her head.

"Now Harry. Are you going to bring her to me or are we going to have to send someone else after her?"

Just then the other creature appeared behind Rachel, rearing up on its hind legs and glaring down at Harry and Ginny.

"Ginny, _go_," Harry pleaded. "_Please, go_."

Ginny sensed Harry's urgency and finally took off running. The creature moved as well, screeching and charging forward, only to meet Harry head on, sending the two tumbling to the side.

"GINNY RUN!"

**A/N: I'm sorry it took _soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo_ long, but I've been really busy with a lot of things, especially school since it just started. I'll try to start posting regularly, but please bare with me. I've still got to work out the kinks. **

**Dwindlingcandle:** I'm sorry that I didn't update for a while. I know this doesn't make up for it, but I hope you like it anyway.

**GoodbyeYBR:** Well, technically, she only created one monster, but after the attacks, Harry and that ministry guy were infected.

**kerosinkanister:** Well, to be perfectly honest, until I started writing that chapter, I had just decided to make it be a revealing of Alex or just introduce a whole new character all together, but after I started writing, I was like, "Hmmm, this would be such an awesome plot twist. The girl no one paid _any_ attention to ends up being the woman scheming to kidnap Ginny and Harry Potter's child." It was just perfect in a twisted sort of way. :-)

**OzDust:** I know it was a bit confusing, but I was trying to find a way to do the three way creature fight without making it too confusing. Which is much harder than I thought it would be.

**Wesker888:** Will do!

**Sorry, no chapter tease. I know you guys deserve one, but I prefer not to write one if I don't know what I'm going to do for the next chapter. It just makes my life more difficult, trying to sculpt the chapter around those exact words. Which is _much_ harder than it looks. **

**SORRY!**


	12. Never Again

**A/N: Sorry it took so long!**

_A man may fulfill the object of his existence by asking a question he cannot answer, and attempting a task he cannot achieve._ **-Oliver Wendell Holmes**

* * *

Hermione dragged herself down the hall, tears rolling down her face and pain evident in her eyes. She had narrowly escaped death, leaving the two monsters to fight in the room. She was in extreme pain from the gashes on her broken leg and the shooting pain up her spine when the creature had first attacked her.

"Somebody help me!" she screamed, looking around frantically for any sign of life. "Anyone!"

There was no answer and Hermione was forced to continue down the hall, dragging her leg as she went along.

* * *

"You're losing, Harry," Rachel sneered, circling Harry as he coughed up more blood, his whole being screaming in agony. The creature stood behind Harry, glaring down at him. It looked up at Rachel for a signal and Rachel smiled, looking over Harry with a casual eye.

"Pity, though… This little child will never know its father. I suppose the chain continues…" she said.

She looked at the creature and nodded. The thing grinned wickedly and lifted up its large claws. Harry tried to get up but the thing placed its hind foot on his back and snarled.

"Goodbye, Harry."

"NO!"

Harry, Rachel and the creature turned to see Ginny running down the hallway with Dumbledore, McGonagall and several members of the Weasley clan behind her.

"HARRY!"

Before Rachel could stop it, the creature turned and launched itself at Ginny.

"GINNY, NO!" Harry screamed.

There were flashes of green, red and blue and huge explosions sounded. Debris and dust clogged Harry's vision and the screams and scuffling prevented him from moving very far.

"Ginny! GINNY!" he yelled. There were more screams and then something near Harry exploded, allowing shattered brick to hit him.

"Harry! Harry!"

Harry looked around frantically through the clouds of dust.

"Ginny!"

There was a flash of white light and the dust suddenly disappeared.

"Where is she?"

Harry looked around to see that the monster, Rachel and Ginny were gone.

"GINNY!" Harry shouted.

There was a deep rumbling sound and then something growled. Someone screamed.

Harry took off down the hall, along with Fred and George, who followed close behind him, wands drawn.

"Harry!"

George grabbed Harry and dragged him back before the large chunk of rock could hear him. They looked down the hall.

Hermione was in the middle of the hall, covering her ears as the creature that stood over her screeched at something on the other side of the destroyed wall. Hermione was sobbing as she tried desperately to look insignificant as the monstrosity continued to snarl. Something flew out of the wall and knocked into the other creature and they went tumbling, screeching and tearing at each other ferociously. Hermione looked into the wall and crawled in, disappearing from sight. Harry was about to follow but Fred stopped him.

"You'll get yourself killed," he hissed, pointing at the two devils fighting in the corridor.

"Ginny's in there!"

"Harry!"

Harry took off down the hall, not caring about the monsters. For he cared, he was one of them.

In that moment, three things happened at once.

One of the creatures grabbed the other's neck and wrenched it completely around, screaming in victory as the other flopped around on the ground, blood pooling around as it gurgled yellowish foam. The creature that still stood lifted up one claw and brought it down on the other's face and the gurgling stopped.

An explosion erupted from the room Hermione had crawled into, knocking Harry down to his feet.

A coldness fell over everything and suddenly it all went black.

**A/N: I'm sorry. I know it's really short and I know it's not the best in the world. I have exams this week and next week so I'm a bit distracted while writing this so please excuse me. Hopefully by Christmas I'll produce something better. **

**OzDust:** Well, she definitly made it to his office. And poor Ron is right...

**kerosinkanister:** Well, since I haven't updated this in a few months you've had a chance to catch up. :-)

**Dwindlingcandle:** Boy, you must be surprised now too.

**charma10:** Well, I suppose it depends...

**I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry that I haven't updated. I just haven't had a lot of time lately. I hope you can forgive me!**

**Sorry, no chapter tease. **


	13. Be Kind, Don't Rewind

_Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional._ **-Anonymous

* * *

**Horns blared and a few people sniffed as a man recited words over the bodies of those who had fallen. But Hermione wasn't listening. She wasn't even looking at the coffins. Her eyes were on the man standing across from her, his eyes fixed on one specific coffin. He hadn't spoken since he'd woken up almost two days ago. 

She knew what was going through his mind, but didn't want to think about it at the moment. The mother next to her started sobbing and Hermione closed her eyes to keep herself from crying. She had been crying for five days. She didn't want to cry any more.

The man across from her placed a rose on both coffins then walked away silently. She did the same and followed him from a distance. Behind her, the heart-wrenching sobs grew louder as she followed the man over the hill and to another set of graves. She watched as he placed a rose on each grave before turning to face her.

She bit her lip and waited until he approached her before she started walking again. They left the cemetery in silence and continued to walk down the sidewalk, each lost in their own painful world.

She looked over at him.

His face was cold. A wall placed up to hide away from the agony that was slowly taking control of his life.

She looked back down at her hands. Her own heart had deteriorated over time and now the only thing that was left was memories.

"I'm going to Russia for a while," he whispered suddenly.

She didn't look at him.

She had been expecting so much. She had known he was planning to leave ever since she'd seen the look in his eyes when he'd woken up.

When she didn't answer, he continued.

"I'm leaving tonight," he told her.

She pulled her coat more tightly around her as the wind picked up. She looked up at the trees and stopped.

"I've always wanted to see the Great Wall of China," she muttered.

He watched her for a moment.

"Then go."

She looked at him and then down the street.

"I think I will… in a few days…"

"Why not now?"

She looked up at him and just stared at him for what seemed like forever before she started to walk again.

"I think I'll leave in a few days… give you a head start," she said wistfully.

He didn't move. He just watched her walk away.

"You'll write me won't you, Harry?" she called over her shoulder as she continued down the sidewalk.

He stared after her for a while longer then nodded.

"Every day," he called back. She stopped and turned slightly to look back at him.

"You promise to be good?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I promise to be good," he responded.

"And not do anything dangerous."

"And not do anything dangerous."

She stared at him for a moment then past him to the cemetery.

"Just don't do anything stupid while you're up there," she said.

"I won't," Harry replied and she focused back on him.

"I wasn't talking about you, Harry," she said with a small smile before turning and walking away. Harry looked up to the sky, his mind traveling back to her…

"_I'm not going to lose you, Harry. I can't lose you…"_

Suddenly he couldn't breathe and tried not to think about her. That was the only way he was going to get through this… if he didn't let his mind go back to the past…

He then looked back down at Hermione's retreating form and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Suddenly China didn't sound like a bad idea…

**The End...**

**A/N: Yes I know, it's not the _best_ ending, but I didn't want to give details. I figure you can use your imaginations. **

**wasu:** I'm glad you loved it.

**lucy2525:** Well, it's over so you don't have to worry about me updating this...

**charma10:** I _am_ really busy. I hardly have time this year and when I do I'm either spending it with my family, catching up with unfinished work or trying to write new chapters.

**Thank you everyone!**


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